


How to Fall in Love With Your Best Friend (a Holiday Guide by Percival de Rolo)

by ashley_in_the_know



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, the 'fake dating for the holidays' fic nobody asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-01-31 07:04:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21442180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashley_in_the_know/pseuds/ashley_in_the_know
Summary: Step 1: Invite her to your family's ancestral home so neither of you have to spend Winter's Crest alone.Step 2: Pretend to date around your family for the entirety of said holiday.Step 3: Ignore your sister's not-so-subtle attempts at matchmaking.Step 4: Ignore even more that every fake kiss feels more and more like the real thing.Step 5: ???????????Step 6: Profit.
Relationships: Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia, background-Vax/Keyleth
Comments: 238
Kudos: 771





	1. Prologue: The Invitation

_[incoming text message from The Annoyance]_

_-fucking answer your phone when I call you, you fuck_

_-it's important_

Percy grumbles as he looks up from his textbooks, glaring daggers at his phone as it buzzes insistently with texts from Vesper.

**-i'm busy**

His phone is buzzing again before he's even set it down.

_-yes, yes, grad school is a nightmare. been there done that_

_-just answer your phone_

_-it'll be so much quicker than just texting you, i promise_

He rolls his eyes. Not that his sister can actually _see _him, mind you. She hasn't gone so far as to install recording equipment in his bedroom. He hopes.

**-the last time you said that we were on the phone for 45 minutes...**

-_oh fuck off_

_-whatever. i'm calling you now, and you'd damn well better pick up_

True to her word, Percy's phone is ringing mere seconds after her last text comes through. He waits for the fifth ring to pick up, just to annoy her. "Hello, Vesper."

"You're a shithead," she says.

"A well established fact, yes," he replies, grinning. "Now, what is so critically important that you had to interrupt me working on my thesis project?"

"Winter's Crest."

Percy frowns, more than a little confused. "It's a holiday that's coming up. I'm aware of it."

Vesper sighs. "More specifically, Mum and Dad want to know if you're bringing anyone home with you for the holiday, and I drew the short straw for pestering you for an answer." She pauses just long enough for him to make an indignant noise. "So, Perce, _are _you bringing anyone with you?"

He hopes his deep sigh adequately conveys his frustration with the subject. "You already know the answer, Ves."

"Do I, Percy?" she teases. He swears he can _hear _her waggling her eyebrows at him. "You play everything so close to the vest that you could be engaged, and none of us would know until the day of the wedding."

"Fine," he snaps. "I am still pathetically single, and I will not be bringing a boyfriend or girlfriend or anything significant home with me for Winter's Crest. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Her voice is considerably softer when she does answer. "Percy. Of course not," she says gently. There's a stretch of silence. "I really just want you to be happy. I hope you know that."

"I'm-I'm fine, Vesper."

"You're lonely."

He actually manages a laugh at that. "I live with seven other people, a dog, _and _a robot," he says. "How could I possibly be lonely?"

"I fully believe you could manage it, somehow," she snarks before her voice softens again. "Just promise me you're at least taking care of yourself. I live too far away to come drag you out of your room for food and sunlight."

"My friends have that well handled, I assure you," he says. "Keyleth insists that I'm the only one who can help with her garden, despite there being three or four others in the house who are far more qualified. I've been trying to join Vex on her daily walks with Trinket. And Pike actually _paid _Grog to carry me up to dinner the other night."

"Wait, wait, wait..." she interrupts, voice brimming with glee. "Did you just say that you're taking _daily _walks with Vex'ahlia?"

Of course _that's _the bit that she chooses to focus on. "Yes. And your point?"

"Didn't you say that she gets up _obscenely _early for her daily walks?"

"Again, your point?"

Vesper snorts. "Percival. You _loathe _mornings. I've never seen you out of bed before noon since you graduated high school. You once threatened me with a knife for attempting to wake you at ten. And you're trying to tell me that there's zero ulterior motive to you joining Vex on her _six am _walks to the dog park?" She's laughing now. "Gods, I figured you were in love with her when you kept bringing her as your Plus One to fancy events, but I never dreamed you'd actually _admit _to it."

"She likes dressing up and socializing," he defends sullenly. "And technically I haven't admitted to anything."

"Percy. Come on."

"Please don't push this," he pleads. "You're the only that actually believes me when I say there's nothing going on between Vex and me."

"But is there really _nothing_ going on, Percy?" she asks. "I mean, when even Oliver thinks the two of you are dating..."

"But we're _not _dating. That's the point."

"Is it though?" she asks. "You don't see how you are around her, Percy. Or how she is when it's just the two of you. Try to ignore it all you want, but there hasn't been nothing between the two of you for a very long time."

There's a soft knock on his door as he tries to formulate a response, and his heart plummets into his stomach when Vex pokes her head into his room. Her eyes and nose are red from crying, and there's makeup and tears streaked across her face. She pauses when she sees him on the phone, mouths _Sorry. I'll come back._

"No, no, stay," he whispers, covering up the mouthpiece. "I'll be done in a minute."

She nods and settles in on his bed as Vesper's voice rings in his ear. "Percy. Are you still there?"

"Sorry," he says. "Something's come up. I'm going to have to let you go."

His sister's voice is entirely too smug when she responds. "Vex is right there, isn't she?"

"_Goodbye, _Vesper."

He can still hear her laughter as he hangs up and joins Vex on his bed. They both lean against the headboard, not looking at each other, not quite touching.

"What happened?" he finally asks.

Vex sniffles loudly. "So, you know how my dad's a fucking dick."

He does his very best not to growl. It's always fucking Syldor. "I'm well aware."

Her head hits his shoulder, and he instinctively wraps an arm around her. "And you know how I was supposed to spend Winter's Crest in Syngorn with him and Devanna and Velora? Except now I'm not, because he decided that Vax wanting to spend the holidays with his girlfriend and me having to work a few shifts during the first week of break means that we aren't "committed to being a family" or some bullshit. So now he's taking Devanna and Velora on a tropical vacation for a month, and I don't even merit an attempt at an invitation."

She's crying again, he can feel the tears soaking through his shirt, and if he thought it would help, he'd be flying to Syngorn to punch her asshole father in the face. "I'm sorry, dear," he murmurs, kissing her temple. "Is there anything I can do?"

He feels her shrug. "Not unless you can help me figure out what I'm supposed to _do_ for break now," she says. "Scanlan's going on tour with Dr. Dranzel. Wilhand doesn't have room for anyone besides Pike and Grog. Tary's already in Marquet with Lawrence. And I'm sure as fuck not spending it in Syngorn."

"What about your brother?"

She shakes her head. "He said he'd talk to Keyleth, but I really don't feel like third-wheeling my brother's first major holiday with the girl he loves. They'll be sappy and awful and disgustingly cute, and I'll just be sad and pathetic and mopey."

"Come to Whitestone."

It's out before he can stop himself. Before he can tell himself that spending a month alone with Vex would be a Bad Idea. Before he can think that he's just going to spend his entire holiday torturing himself with longing. Before he can remember that his parents have a Rule that is ridiculous and dumb about only bringing significant others home for the holidays, and he should really have a talk with them about amending that rule one of these days.

Vex sniffles, lifts her head from his shoulder. "Seriously? You mean it?"

He gives her a little smile. "Would I have offered if I didn't?"

She squints at him. "Don't your parents have that really fucking weird rule, though?" she asks. "The one where we have to be dating for me to come home with you?"

He _should _say _"It's a ridiculous and archaic rule that prioritizes romantic relationships over platonic ones, and I've been meaning to have a talk with them about it anyway, so fuck it." _but what actually comes out of his mouth is, "We could just...fake it?"

The _look _she gives him rivals any he's ever received from his mother or Vesper, or even Pike. "Percival de Rolo, are you honestly suggesting that we lie to your entire family for a fucking month about being in a relationship? Just so I won't be alone for the holiday?"

He hears Vesper's voice in his head _"You're lonely." _. He shrugs. "My family likes you. A lot," he says. "And, to be perfectly honest, a good majority of them already think that we're an item. So it wouldn't be _lying _so much as...playing into their expectations?" He grins. "Not to mention, there will be parties, and games, and concerts. And there's a _very _fancy ball held at the castle on Crest's Eve."

Vex gives him an appraising look, and he'd be concerned if he didn't see the gleam of mischief slowly replacing the sadness in her eyes. "Am I allowed to bring Trinket?"

**[outgoing text message to The Annoyance]**

**-alright. you may have a point.**

**-also, on a completely unrelated note, Vex will be joining us for Winter's Crest**


	2. The Plan

“Stubby, have you _lost your mind_?”

Vex chuckles, flops back onto her brother’s bed. “I dunno, maybe I have,” she says thoughtfully. “Like, it's a ridiculous plan. What the fuck was I _thinking_, agreeing to such a ridiculous plan?”

Vax sits down by her head, starts playing with the hair that’s escaped her braid. “Well, what _were _you thinking?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” she groans. “I was really pissed and emotional over everything with Dad, kind of freaking out over having to find new holiday plans on such short notice, _really _not wanting to be that pathetic loser who spends Winter’s Crest alone with her dog.” Trinket whines loudly from under Vax’s desk. “Sorry, buddy,” she coos, “You know Mummy doesn’t mean it.” She sighs. “And then Percy was being so sweet and supportive, and I guess...I guess it sounded like a good idea at the time?”

“Faking a relationship with Freddie around his entire family for a month _sounded like a good idea at the time_?”

Vex scowls up at him. “Well, when you say it like that...”

“If it was just about not wanting to be alone,” he starts, frowning a little, “you know you have an open invitation to Zephrah, right? I talked with Kiki, she said there’d be plenty of room.”

“With all due respect, brother, I’d rather stay in Emon,” she says. “I love you and Keyleth, don’t get me wrong, and you’re super adorable together, but you’re also nauseating as fuck. I have no desire to spend my holiday watching the two of you canoodle.”

Vax tugs on a lock of her hair. “It’s called a Honeymoon Phase for a reason.”

“Yes, and the groom doesn’t typically bring his sister along for the Honeymoon,” she retorts.

He pauses for a moment. “Fair enough.” He makes her sit up, unravels the rest of her braid, and starts re-doing it. “So, what are you going to do?”

She shrugs. “I mean, what’s really the harm in just...going with it?”

Vax’s hands go still. “Vex’ahlia.”

“What?”

“You’re actually going to go through with this?” he asks. “You think you’re just going to be able to play Percy’s girlfriend, convincingly enough that his family won’t get suspicious, for an entire month, and not come out on the other side with a broken heart when the game is over?”

She goes for denial. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

That gets a chuckle out of him. “You’re a really bad liar, you know that?”

“Excuse you, I am an _amazing _liar.”

He laughs again. “One, not something to be proud of, Stubby. Two, you’re a shit liar when it comes to Percy.” He works quietly for a minute. “Honestly, I’m shocked he hasn’t figured out you’ve got the hots for him yet,” he teases, tugging her hair. “You’re incredibly unsubtle around him.”

“Maybe he has figured it out, and he’s just being nice. You know, pretending he hasn’t noticed my totally embarrassing crush so he won’t have to hurt my feelings by turning me down,” she says, finally voicing the fear that’s been in the back of her mind since she realized her thing for Percy was A Thing.

“You don’t...actually believe that, do you?” Vax asks, sounding mildly horrified. “Vex?”

She shrugs again, tries to ignore the prickle of tears forming. “I don’t know,” she says softly, biting her lip. “Maybe.”

He ties off the end of her braid, turns her to face him. “Do you really not see how that boy looks at you?” he asks. “Like a blind man seeing the fucking sun for the first time. Like he’s in lo-”

“Vax, don’t,” she begs. _Don’t get my hopes up._

He studies her for a moment, then pulls her into a hug, kisses the top of her head. “You’re a grown woman,” he says, “and I’m not going to tell you what to do. Just promise me that you’ll be careful, alright? I know he’s charming, but...be careful.”

She nods. “I promise.”

They sit there in silence, just holding each other for a while before Vax finally breaks it. “You’re going to have to kiss him, you know,” he says, sounding entirely too smug for her liking.

She muffles a scream in her brother’s shoulder. “I’m fucked, aren’t I?”

* * *

Vex finds Percy in his workshop later that night, glaring at the piece of metal he's working with murderous intent. She watches him work for a few minutes, wonders what he's making. She remembers him mentioning trying his hand at making jewelry for Winter's Crest presents, but if the object in his hands is jewelry of any kind, she can't identify it.

He barely startles when she knocks on the door frame, and she wonders just how long he's been aware of her presence. "Are you busy?" she asks. "I was kind of hoping we could talk?"

Percy considers the lump of metal he's holding before setting it down on the table. "Not busy at all," he says, giving her a wry grin.

"Are you sure?" she asks. "I can come back."

He scrubs a hand over his face. "Positive," he says. "If I don't stop now, there's a very likely chance of me breaking something expensive out of frustration. So, please, distract me."

She laughs, settles on the futon that he uses more than his own bed. "What were you trying to make?"

He thinks for a moment. "Honestly, I don't even remember."

"Ouch."

Percy busies himself with the coffee maker. "So, what did you want to talk about?" he asks, trying and failing to keep his voice casual.

She rolls her eyes fondly. "Well, Vax and I were talking about our, um, Winter's Crest plans."

He stares at her. "You told Vax?"

"I don't keep secrets from my brother," she says. "Even if I try, he just weasels them out of me." He nods his understanding. "Anyway, he and I were talking, and something he said got me thinking that you and I need to set some boundaries for the holiday."

"Boundaries," he repeats, nodding again. "Are we talking just physical, or?"

"I mean, we should discuss emotional boundaries, too, but I was mostly thinking physical, yeah." She waits for him to swallow his mouthful of coffee. "For example, I'm not going to fuck you."

He still manages to choke, just a bit. "I assure you, that was never an expectation," he wheezes.

Vex grins. "I know. Still good to put it out there." She pats the cushion next to her and waits for him to sit down. "So, what kinds of PDA are you comfortable with? And how much, I guess?"

"Hand holding is fine," he says after a minute. "Cuddling, too, though maybe not an egregious amount. You know me. I'm not overly affectionate with too many people."

She nods. "I know. And you know that I am." She puts her hand over his. "But I will do my best to not make you uncomfortable. And we can have a signal or a code word in case one of us crosses a line. Or just if we get overwhelmed and need a moment to regroup."

"Like an emotional safe word," he offers.

She squeezes his hand. "Exactly."

An awkward silence fills the room until Vex works up the courage to say what they're both thinking. "We're going to have to kiss."

Percy nods. "At least a little, yes." He glances at her. "How do you feel about mistletoe?"

She shrugs. "Indifferent for the most part, but it's certainly not a dealbreaker," she says. "Unless your family decorates every single doorway, in which case I will protest."

He laughs. "Not _every _doorway, but Whitney does occasionally go overboard when one of us brings home a new partner," he says. "So we might have to be a little wary."

"Good to know." She very deliberately does not look at him. "Do you think we should...practice?"

"Practice kissing?" he asks, his voice going up an octave.

"Yeah," she says. "So it looks and feels more natural. So the first time we kiss isn't in front of your parents?"

Percy's quiet for a long moment. "Okay."

She turns to him, a little shocked. "Okay?"

He smiles, nods. "Yes." His hand coming to cup her cheek is all the warning she gets before he presses his lips to hers.

He's gone so quick it could barely be called a kiss, but her head goes a little fuzzy, and her stomach is filled with butterflies all the same. She can feel the blush heating up her cheeks, and Percy's ears are similarly red.

"Sorry," he mutters sheepishly. "I shouldn't have-"

"No, darling, it's fine," she says. "You're fine." She scoots closer, close enough to count the freckles on his nose, and kisses him, letting it linger. She does her best to ignore the way her heart stutters when he groans against her lips.

This is fine.

_[incoming text message from Unknown Number]_

_-hi_

_-so you don't know me but my name is vax_

_-i'm one of percy's housemates. vex's brother._

_-this is vesper right?_

**-it is**

**-how did you get my number?**

_-not super important, don't worry about it_

_-anyway. your brother is in love with my sister. and vice versa. and they've concocted a plan for WC worthy of a Hallmark movie_

**-i am painfully aware of all of this**

**-what's your point?**

_-what do you say we work a little magic. get them to admit their feelings to one another?_

**-call me in ten minutes**

**-i like the way you think**


	3. Interlude: Keyleth

They're in the garden pulling weeds when Keyleth finally broaches the subject.

He and Vex had told the rest of their friends about their Winter's Crest plan at dinner a couple weeks ago, to varying degrees of judgment. Grog and Scanlan had made a few suggestive comments, and then went about their business as usual. Having already said his peace, Vax had merely intimated that Percy behave himself, earning him a dinner roll to the face, courtesy of Vex. Pike and Keyleth had exchanged a look, but neither said a word.

Until now.

"So, you and Vex, huh?" she says, as casually as she can muster, which, for Keyleth, means she's technically having this conversation with her peonies.

Percy sighs, works at a stubborn clump of weeds that's attempting to strangle said peonies. "What about me and Vex?"

"Oh, come on, Percy," Keyleth huffs. "You and Vex are leaving for Whitestone this weekend. Together."

"Yes, and?"

She actually growls. "Gods, you're so frustrating," she says, throwing a weed at his face. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. This...crazy plan that sounds like something out of a bad romance novel. Or worse, a cheesy Winter's Crest movie."

"Trust me, Keyleth, I've had nearly three weeks to think about how bad of an idea this really is." He takes a moment to wipe the dirt from his glasses. "But, as you said, we're leaving in just a few days. There's not really any turning back now."

They work in silence for a few minutes, just long enough that he hopes she's given it up. No such luck, he realizes when she speaks up again.

"Why did you even offer if you knew it was such a bad idea?"

"I don't know," he starts, thinking back to that day. It feels like an eternity ago, but also like it happened just yesterday. "I just...you didn't see her, Keyleth. She likes to play it cool, like all of Syldor's bullshit doesn't bother her, but she was fucking heartbroken. All I wanted was to cheer her up, to wipe away the disappointment and defeat, no matter what."

"You just wanted her to be happy," Keyleth says, and he nods. She laughs softly. "Man, you've got it fucking bad, don't you?"

He scrubs at his face, realizing too late that he's only succeeded in smearing dirt from chin to eyebrows. "You sound like my sister," he grumbles.

Keyleth smirks. "But you aren't disagreeing."

"I suppose I'm not," he says, wiping off his glasses again. He pauses for a moment, then points a very serious finger at her. "This goes nowhere."

She rolls her eyes, but holds up a hand. "Scout's honor." She studies him quietly. "So, what are you hoping to get out of this?"

He freezes. "I beg your pardon?"

She sighs. "Like, what's the endgame here, Percy?" she asks. "Are you planning on using this as a segue to actually asking Vex out? What are your intentions?"

He's scowling when he turns to face her. "My _intentions _are to make sure my friend has the best holiday she possibly can," he snaps, feeling immediately guilty for the hurt that flickers across her face.

"Percy, I'm sorry. I-"

"No, no, _I'm_ sorry, Keyleth," he says. "You're fine."

"I didn't mean that how it sounded," she says softly.

"No, I know," he assures her. "You're just trying to look out for the both of us, I know that." He sighs deeply. "I can't lie and say there isn't some small, selfish part of me that's hoping this month will convince Vex that we should try dating for real, but that isn't why I invited her. I still would have found a way for her to come along if she hadn't agreed to this stupid ruse."

Keyleth arches an eyebrow. "Does she know that?"

"Pardon?"

She gives him a Look. "Does Vex know that she's still invited to Whitestone, with or without the dating ruse?"

He falters for a moment before standing up and brushing dirt off his pants. "Excuse me."

* * *

He still has dirt streaked across his face when he knocks on Vex's door a few minutes later. She's barely opened the door for him before the words are rushing out of his mouth. "Wedon'thavetopretendtodate."

She opens the door wider, looking like she's trying not to laugh. "Come in. Sit down. Start over."

He follows her instructions, taking residence in her desk chair. He takes a deep breath. "You don't have to fake being my girlfriend to come to Whitestone for the holiday," he says. "I can talk to my parents, explain everything. They can be weird about some things, but they aren't cruel. They wouldn't let you spend Winter's Crest alone."

She snorts. "Well, I kind of figured that was the case, but it's nice to hear you say it."

He grins sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry. Shall I give my mother a call, then?"

"It's not necessary."

Percy frowns. "Are you saying you _aren't _taking the out that I'm offering you?"

"Unless you really want me to take it, yeah," she says, shrugging. "I appreciate the out, but I don't mind sticking to the original plan." She pauses. "Do _you _want to tell them the truth?"

"Gods, I don't even know," he groans. "On on hand, I really don't like lying to my parents. But, on the other, I will quite literally never live this down if they do find out."

"Okay then," she says, as if it's just that simple. "We stick to the plan."

"Are you sure?" he asks. "I don't want to force you-"

"Percival," she cuts him off with a laugh. "We've known each other for, what? Three years now? Almost four?" He nods. "In all that time, have you ever known me to quietly go along with something that I didn't want to do?"

"No, I suppose not," he concedes.

"Then trust me when I say I'm okay with this." She takes his hands in hers, smiles sweetly. "You do trust me, right?"

He laughs. "I'm offended that you even have to ask."

"Besides," she says, looking down, suddenly shy. "I'm doing this as much for you as I am for me."

He raises an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

Vex shrugs. "I mean, you're always complaining about your family getting on your case about being single," she explains. "And the holidays are stressful enough without having to deal with that shit on top of it. And since I can't magically make them all stop caring about your love life, I figure this is the next best thing."

He's speechless for a moment. "That's...incredibly sweet of you."

She smiles, leans in to kiss his cheek, and his heart aches just a little bit more. "What are friends for?"


	4. Welcome to Whitestone

It's snowing when Vex and Percy's plane touches down, and, as beautiful as it is, Vex's childlike fascination fades with the first blast of icy wind that accompanies it. Trinket has no such reservations, romping through the drifts around the airport entrance while Percy and Vex huddle in an alcove to wait for Vesper. She's running late, but should be arriving any minute according to Percy's calculations. A gust of wind forces its way into their alcove, and Vex whines, pressing closer to Percy. He takes pity on her, wrapping her in a hug and doing his best to shield her from the wind.

"I did warn you it was going to be cold," he says, and she scowls at the hint of amusement in his voice.

"You do realize that the furthest north I've been before now is Westruun, right?" she asks. "And that wasn't in the dead of winter. You'll have to forgive me for not having a proper point of reference."

"That's fair," he concedes. "But I didn't think you'd allow me to shut you in Gilmore's walk-in freezer, so 'you're going to need a heavier jacket' was really the best I could come up with."

She laughs at that. "And now I understand why you insist on wearing so many layers," she teases. "Imagine everyone's disappointment when they find out there's a logical reason, and it isn't just you being a pompous trust fund baby."

"To be fair, I _am _a pompous trust fund baby," he says. "Though, as you will soon discover, I am not nearly as bad as some of my siblings."

Vex's attention is drawn by a shiny green SUV pulling into the parking lot and driving towards them. "Speaking of siblings, please tell me that's Vesper," she begs. "I can't feel my toes."

It is, mercifully, Vesper. Vex calls Trinket back to her and clips his leash back on as she hops out of the car and comes to hug her brother and Vex in turn. Percy towers over her, as he does with all of his siblings, but she's only an inch or two shorter than Vex.

"I am so sorry I couldn't get here sooner," she says, running a hand through her short, dark hair. "My meeting ran long at work, and then traffic was shit because of the snow and the holidays. I really hope you haven't been waiting on me for too long."

"Only about fifteen minutes," Percy offers, _lying _because it's definitely been at least twenty, "but we should probably get packed up and on the road before Vex freezes."

"Oh shit, of course, I'm sorry," Vesper says, grabbing Vex's larger suitcase and leading the way to the back of the car. "Perce mentioned you don't have a ton of experience with the cold. Is this your first time seeing snow?"

"Outside of movies and shit, yeah," she says, helping Vesper load her bags into the trunk.

"And what do you think?"

Vex shrugs. "It's pretty enough, but I could definitely do without the cold and the wet. Trinket loves it, though, if you couldn't tell," she adds, scratching behind his ears. He woofs happily, his snub of a tail wagging furiously. She does, at the very least, manage to brush most of the snow from his fur before coaxing him into Vesper's back seat with her.

The warmth from the heaters is heavenly, and Vex can feel herself getting drowsy as they start the hour drive to Whitestone. A late night at work and an early morning flight coupled with a multitude of anxieties about the coming month have left her utterly exhausted, and it isn't long before Trinket's comforting presence and the conversation from the front seat are lulling her to sleep.

* * *

The car is parked when she wakes again, Percy shaking her gently, and Vesper is nowhere to be seen. She yawns loudly and rolls her neck to relieve a crick. "Oh gods, how long was I out?" she asks.

Percy chuckles. "Well, you stopped responding to conversation about five minutes after we left the airport, so just a little over an hour."

She groans. "Fuck. I slept the whole way here?"

He nods. "We'll have to take a drive through the Alabaster Sierras while you're here," he says. "So you can see some of what you missed."

"I'd like that." She looks around, frowning. "Where's Trinket?"

"Playing in the snow," Percy says, and, sure enough, she can see his large paw prints bounding away as she climbs out of the car. "It seemed unfair to keep him cooped up after an hour in the car, and even longer on the plane. And I knew he wouldn't stray too far from where you were."

As if to prove his point, Trinket is at her side almost the moment they leave the parking structure. Percy starts leading them along a stone pathway before she stops short. "Wait, our bags."

"Are already on their way to the house," he assures her. "Ollie and Cass took care of them."

She's still wrapping her brain around the fact that the de Rolo estate is apparently large enough to warrant designated parking spaces when they crest a hill and she catches sight of the house. Well, _house _is a bit of an understatement. It's more of a...

"Percival."

He merely hums in response, tugging her hand from where she's once again stopped in her tracks.

"That's a fucking castle."

He huffs out a laugh, but she can see the blush coloring his cheeks. "Well...yes."

She narrows her eyes at him. "In all the time we've known each other, I don't seem to recall you ever mentioning that your family lived in a. Fucking. Castle."

"It never seemed like an important detail?" he tries.

"_Percival_."

He sighs. "My family is descended from nobility. My father is technically a Lord. _I'm _technically a Lord. I think." He shakes his head. "I suppose I never mentioned any of this because I was afraid it would make me seem all the more pretentious. And I like not having to deal with all of the formality. I don't much care for Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the Third. I prefer Percy."

She stares at him. "I'm sorry, repeat that for me, dear? You lost me after your fourth name."

He grins sheepishly. "Percival Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo."

"The Third."

"Yes. The Third."

She snorts. "Filling out paperwork of any kind must be _hell_."

"Oh, it is," he confirms. "Thankfully, I was allowed to change it to Percival Frederick de Rolo when I turned 18, and I only have to use that beast for the most ridiculous of formal events."

The conversation has carried them across the estate grounds, but now they're facing a pair of grand double doors, the heavy dark wood all that's separating them from the rest of Percy's family and the start of their absurd ruse. She pauses, her heart pounding, then reaches for the doorknob with a trembling hand.

He stops her, takes her hand in his gently, murmurs her name. "Vex'ahlia. Courage?"

She nods, letting out her breath on a loud exhale at the mention of their safe word. "Thank you. I'll be fine, I just...need a minute."

He keeps her hand, strokes his thumb over her knuckles. "How are you feeling?"

"Overwhelmed," she admits. "This is a lot. And this is the point of no return, isn't it?"

"It is," he says. "But I'll be at your side the whole way. And, if it helps, it is much warmer inside the house."

She laughs, and the knot in her chest loosens just a little. "Well then, lead the way."

* * *

Percy is deeply grateful that his mother is the only one waiting for them in the foyer. Not that he isn't happy to be home, or that he isn't excited to see his siblings, but they can be a lot to deal with on their best days, and he appreciates the chance for Vex to settle in somewhat quietly.

He's being wrapped in a bone-crushing hug before he can even speak, and he sinks into his mother's embrace for just a moment. "Hi Mum."

She steps back and takes his face in her hands, studying him. "It's so good to see you again, sweetheart," she says, patting him on the cheek. "How was your trip? You look a little tired."

"Our trip was fine," he answers. "And I'm pretty sure tired is just my permanent state of being these days."

Vex snorts. "Maybe if you attempted to stick to a regular sleep schedule, you wouldn't be constantly exhausted, darling."

Percy rolls his eyes. "This coming from the one who passed out cold the moment we hit the highway."

"I got out of work at 3 am," she retorts, smiling sweetly. "What's your excuse?"

He clears his throat and turns back to his mother, who is very obviously trying not to laugh at them. "Mother, you remember Vex'ahlia."

"Of course I do," she says, stepping forward to embrace Vex, who looks properly startled at the open affection. "While I can't say we weren't shocked to hear of this development in your relationship, we are far from disappointed."

Seeing Vex blush is a rare thing, but it's unmistakable, even as she ducks her head. "I...um, that's very kind of you," she stammers. "Thank you."

"You're good for him," his mother says, glancing his way with a smile. "He takes himself less seriously when he's with you. Comes out of his shell more."

He's flushed just as crimson as Vex now, but he decides to lean into it. "Well, she makes it easy," he says, slipping an arm around Vex's waist. It's not even a lie. It's easier to let his guard down around Vex. "It's almost unfair, really, how disarming she is."

Vex rolls her eyes. "You say the sweetest things, dear," she says, the snark softened by a barely concealed yawn.

"Good gods, where are my manners?" Johanna says. "I'll let the two of you get settled, and we'll send someone up to your room when dinner is ready."

Percy and Vex exchange a look. "Room?" he asks. "As in singular?"

His mother laughs at their shock. "Percy, sweetheart, you're adults. And I'm not an idiot," she says with a fond smile. "I figured that you'd end up in the same bed most nights anyway, so why not save you the trouble of trying to sneak around in the middle of the night?"

He turns to Vex, who looks as uncomfortable with the insinuation as he feels. "Are you alright with this?" he asks. "I'm sure we can set you up in a guest room if you'd be more comfortable-"

"No, this is fine," she says, squeezing his hand. "Unexpected, but not unpleasant."

He nods. "Yeah, alright." It shouldn't even be that much of an issue, he muses as they head upstairs. They've shared a bed before, though never just the two of them, and his bed here is certainly bigger than any of the ones at Greyskull. His only fear is that he'll grow too used to having her so close. Or that he'll say something incriminating in his sleep and make things terribly awkward between the two of them.

"Percy?" Vex's voice jolts him out of his thoughts, and he finally realizes that they've just been wandering down a random corridor for the past few minutes.

"Yes, dear?"

"You're going to have to lead the way to your room," she says. "I have no fucking clue where we're going."

Even as he orients himself and starts guiding them to his bedroom, he can't help but silently agree with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had very different plans for this chapter, but then Vex decided that she needed to have a nap and a minor existential crisis. Don't we all...


	5. Dinner and a Show

Vex is grateful for the reprieve they've been granted, for the few hours they've been given to settle in before dinner with Percy's entire family. Which is an undertaking all of its own, if she's being honest. Despite all of the galas, festivals, and state dinners she's accompanied Percy to, she's never actually been in a room with all of the de Rolos before. And now she's here, in their home, as Percy's girlfriend no less. It's daunting. To say the least.

It also doesn't help that she didn't quite realize how difficult this was all going to be until she was standing at his front door, moments away from a panic attack.

So, yes, the chance to rest, to gather her thoughts and steel herself for the coming weeks, is appreciated.

Percy's bedroom (_their _bedroom, technically, and dear gods is she not looking forward to that particular conversation with Vax) is, to be expected, enormous. Luxurious too, but in that understated way that most rich as fuck people can never fully pull off. It is also undeniably Percy's, mirroring his room at Greyskull only on a much grander scale. His desk is a mess of books and diagrams, blueprints and discarded materials. There's a poster on his wall of a famous Wildemount clocktower that she knows for a fact hangs on the back of his door back home.

The one major difference is the pair of giant glass doors leading to a balcony that boasts an absolutely stunning view of the Alabaster Sierras rising over the Parchwood. She doesn't actually go outside, because fuck that, but it does take a great deal of effort for her to not press her nose to the glass and gape.

"It's not really the best view in the house," Percy says, having the gall to sound embarrassed. "You can damn near see the ocean from Whitney's room on a good day."

"Percy," she says, "you do realize that the view from my window at Greyskull is a dumpster in a dirty alley, right?"

"I...well, yes," he says, looking down sheepishly.

"Then stop trying to downplay all of this," she tells him. "This is _incredible._"

He sits down on the edge of his bed. "I guess I'm just trying to not make you uncomfortable?" he offers. "And I also know that you're not overly fond of rich fucks trying to flaunt their wealth to impress people. Or to make them feel inferior."

"I appreciate that. I do," she assures him, standing in front of him and taking his hands in hers. "But, while you aren't one of _those _rich fucks, you are a rich fuck, darling." He makes an indignant noise and she laughs. "You said yourself that you're a trust fund baby. You have a title. Your family lives in a fucking castle. I'm pretty sure I saw at least two tennis courts on the grounds."

He nods. "There's also an Olympic size swimming pool in the basement. And a sauna."

She can't help the fond smile. "You realize you're making my point for me, right?"

"Yes, yes, I know." He stares up at the ceiling for a moment. "I grew up with all of this. But even as a child, I knew this wasn't _normal_. I know that this can be a lot to process, and you were already overwhelmed just walking from the car to the house. And then my mother threw us both with the sleeping arrangements."

"It's possible we should have been expecting that last bit, to be fair."

He smiles ruefully. "Touche." He runs a hand through his hair. "After all of that, I wanted to put you at ease, but I think I picked the worst way to go about doing that."

"Not the _worst _way," she says, smirking. "Probably top 5, though."

"Noted."

They remain there, holding hands, for probably longer than appropriate for two people who _aren't _dating. Just as it starts to get awkward, the silence is broken by her text tone going off.

_[incoming text message from womb-mate]_

_-hey sis, you there yet?_

_-is it cold?_

_-having second thoughts?_

_-how big is freddie's house?_

**-arrived maybe an hour ago? yes, it's fucking freezing. i'll get back to you on that. he lives in a castle, Vax. a literal castle**

_-you're...joking right?_

_-A CASTLE VEX'AHLIA???_

**-not joking. i'll send pics**

_-holy shit_

**-ikr**

_-okay, like...you realize you have to marry him now_

**-shut up**

_-love you too. have fun. don't do anything i wouldn't_

**-that's a very short list vax'ildan**

_-....touche_

* * *

The summons to dinner comes far too soon, in Percy's humble opinion. Of course, he's not sure any amount of time could prepare him for introducing Vex as his girlfriend to the full force of his parents, siblings, and any guests they may have brought along.

He is relieved to find that he isn't the only one who's brought a partner home, which means that he and Vex may escape some small measure of scrutiny (unlikely, as Vesper is already hiding her smirk in her wine glass when he pulls Vex's chair out for her, but he can hope, right?). Julius's fiance Arlo is here, though only for another week, and the first twenty minutes or so of conversation are devoted to their wedding plans. Eventually though, that conversation starts to die down, and Percy finds Vex's free hand under the table, bracing for the interrogation that he's never actually been on the receiving end of.

Sure enough. "Well, enough about us," Julius says, turning to stare Percy down. "You, dear Percival, have been holding out on us."

Percy returns the stare, takes a sip of his wine. This is going to happen, but that doesn't mean he has to make it _easy _for them. "I haven't a clue what you could mean, Jules," he deadpans.

That earns him a peal of laughter from Cass and a kick to the shins from either Vesper or Whitney. Vex is shaking with silent giggles beside him. Oliver rolls his eyes. "You're a moron."

"Oliver," Frederick chides before turning to Percy and Vex. "Really though, son, Julius isn't wrong. You can't blame us for being curious."

Percy sighs. He prefers flying under the radar when it comes to his family, and he can't imagine Vex is comfortable with all of the attention. But his family is a curious lot, and even Ludwig, who generally couldn't care less about this kind of talk, is watching them intently. "Fine," he relents. "What would you like to know?"

"Well, mostly we just want to know when the two of you got together," Whitney says, leaning in. Oliver nudges her with his elbow. "Oh! And also why you decided to keep it a fucking secret. And _how _you managed to keep it a secret."

Ludwig nods solemnly. "This is kind of a big fucking deal, Perce."

Percy turns to Vex, who looks just as panicked as he feels. Because in all of their meticulous planning, they _forgot _this very important detail. "Shall I?" he asks.

She nods, visibly relieved. "Be my guest, darling."

He takes another drink, says the first thing that pops into his head. "Uh, Harvest Close," he says, nodding. "That's when we started dating. The night of the Harvest Close charity auction." Vex squeezes his hand, approving. It's long enough for them to believably be growing serious, but not so long ago as to make the secrecy weird.

Vesper catches his eye, smirks mischievously. "Oh come on, you have to give us more than that," she says. "I'm sure it's a delightful story."

"I, um, well...really it's as simple as I spent the entire evening in awe of her," he says. He's blushing, tripping over his words, and he isn't lying so much as just...embellishing the facts. "She's so...clever and funny and warm, and I couldn't stop thinking about how desperately I wanted to kiss her." She's blushing now, too, and for a moment he can almost believe Vesper's assertion that there's _something _between them. "And, so I did. With her permission, of course," he adds before his mother can interject. "And only after summoning up a great deal of courage."

Vex laughs. "Quite literally," she says, nudging him playfully. "He was more than a little tipsy. I don't think he would have been bold enough to make a move otherwise."

He just shrugs, accepts his family's laughter. "She isn't wrong."

"So, why hide it?" Cass asks once the din has settled.

"At first we weren't sure if it was going to turn into anything," Vex says softly. "We didn't want to jinx it by putting a label on it. After that..." She shrugs, smiling. "It was nice to have something that was just ours for a while."

"Hmm," Cass says, nodding slowly. She fixes Vex with an intense stare. "Why Percy?"

Vex looks, understandably, taken aback. "I...excuse me?"

"We got to hear just a bit of Percy's feelings for you," his sister says. "So, what about you? What made you want to date my brother?"

Percy turns to Vex. "You don't have to-"

She squeezes his hand again. "No, it's fine." She faces Cass. "Percy is one of the best people I've ever met. He's kind, and thoughtful, and a far better man than he believes himself to be." She glances at him for a moment. "He's loyal to a fault, and he stands his ground when he believes in something...or someone. He's brilliant, ambitious, and just enough of a snob for it to be endearing." She sniffs quietly, and he's shocked to see moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes. "He makes me laugh, he makes me smile when I feel like shit. He's my best friend."

There's a beat of silence once she's finished, and then Cass laughs softly. "Well, fuck. Now I just feel like an ass."

Vex snorts. "Oh, you're fine, dear," she says. "Trust me, I was _much _worse when my brother started dating his girlfriend."

"I think as long as you didn't mention money or looks, you would have been fine," Oliver says. "But that was really adorable."

"Alright, you all got the answers you wanted," Johanna says, sending Percy a wink. "I think the inquisition is over for now."

As talk moves on to Cassandra and her first semester of college, Percy catches his mother's eye and mouths _Thank you._

* * *

Vex notices the first sprig of mistletoe as they're leaving the dining room. She also notices Vesper and the twins casually herding her and Percy underneath it.

"Would you look at that," Oliver says with feigned surprise.

Percy frowns up at the cluster of leaves and berries. "I swear that wasn't here when we came down to dinner."

"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't," Whitney says. "But tradition is tradition, brother."

He gives Vex a long suffering look. "I did warn you."

She laughs. "That you did. Whitney's right, though, tradition is tradition." She stretches up on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Whitney pouts. "You two are no fun."

* * *

Vex manages to avoid getting them caught under a majority of the mistletoe that's been liberally spread throughout the castle for the rest of the night. Though, in her defense, it is rather difficult to avoid Julius dangling a sprig directly over their heads as they play board games in the library. They only have to kiss twice more after dinner, and only once on the lips.

Still, even as she readies for bed in Percy's ensuite, she can't get his words from earlier out of her head. _I couldn't stop thinking about how desperately I wanted to kiss her. _It's all for show, she _knows _that. He doesn't have those kind of feelings for her, he can't. But she's never known him to be _that _good of an actor. And he sounded so sincere.

But if he does have feelings for her, why hasn't he made a move? Or at the very least said something?

She knows exactly what Vax would say, which is precisely why she doesn't text her brother. If she's going to get through this with her heart intact, she has to put those thoughts away. Otherwise, she's just going to spend the entire time torturing herself.

As she joins him in his bed, which suddenly seems _much _smaller than it actually is, as he smiles sleepily at her, looking so much younger and softer without his glasses on, as she wakes in the middle of the night and finds herself snuggled close to him, his heartbeat a comforting lullaby under her ear, she realizes how much easier said than done that's actually going to be.


	6. Sun and Moon

The rest of the weekend passes in a quiet blur of relaxation that Vex rarely allows herself to indulge in. School break or not, she's usually picking up extra shifts at work, or volunteering with Pike and Keyleth, or doing _anything _that isn't sleeping in and watching Netflix with Percy's sisters. It's weird. It's nice. It's _weird._

Percy manages to sprinkle in just enough activities for them that she doesn't start getting restless. They're mostly tours because, apparently, there is a _lot _to tour in Whitestone, and Percy's decided that Vex needs to see it all. They start with just the castle, which is overwhelming in its own right. But then they go down into the city proper, and he shows her around all of his favorite haunts from his youth; the cemetery (which is so _very _Percy), the temple to Erathis (which is so very _not_), a delightfully bizarre curiosities shop that she resolves to return to and purchase at least one gift for each of her friends from. And, finally, the Sun Tree.

Look, she's not Keyleth. Sure she loves nature and the outdoors (so much so that Percy's promised to find a warm enough day within the next couple of weeks for them to go hiking in the Parchwood), but she doesn't hug trees or talk to flowers, and she's rubbish at gardening. But, _fuck_ there's something about this tree. It's enormous, for one. And despite its branches being completely devoid of leaves, it still looks so _alive._

"Can I climb it?" she asks softly.

Percy laughs. "Unfortunately, the Sun Tree is technically both a religious and historical icon."

"So, no climbing?"

He smirks. "Not unless you want to be chased through the square by Father Reynal as he bellows about blasphemy and "the corruption of today's youth"."

Vex laughs. "Speaking from experience, Percival?" she teases.

"Do I look like I was ever the tree climbing type?" he asks, shooting her a wink as he adjusts his glasses.

"I dunno, that fork of branches in the middle there looks like the perfect place to curl up with a book."

He grins, unrepentant. "It absolutely is."

"So, do you have any other cool and/or mildly disturbing childhood haunts to show me?"

He chuckles. "No, this is it," he says. He gestures to the small park that surrounds the tree, the benches lightly dusted with snow. "We can stay for a bit if you'd like."

Vex nods, and Trinket woofs his agreement. "Yes please."

Vex would be happy to linger at the Sun Tree indefinitely, but an abrupt drop in temperature and the slowly darkening sky have them hustling out of the square and back to the castle after only half an hour. It's not a short walk by any means, but the bus system is new and rather unreliable (according to just about everyone), and Percy doesn't actually have a car here. She's starting to get truly uncomfortable by the time they make it back to the castle, and she spends a good five minutes curled up in front of the fireplace in the foyer before she even attempts to remove her winter gear.

"I'm so sorry," Percy murmurs, attempting to help her restore some feeling to her hands. "I should have checked the weather forecast before we left."

She shuffles closer to him. "It's fine, Percy," she says. "I'll survive. Just...maybe ask to borrow a car next time?"

"Oh definitely," he agrees, nodding. "We will definitely be getting a ride into town on Wednesday."

Vex frowns. "Wednesday?"

Percy stops short. "Did I...not tell you about the town lighting festival on Wednesday?"

She shakes her head, smirking when he blushes. "Well, there is a town lighting festival this Wednesday," he says. "There's free food, a carnival, a petting zoo, and it all ends with a concert at dusk and then all of the lights in the city turn on."

"That sounds like fun," she says softly. It sounds like Byroden. Before the fires, when she and Vax were young and carefree.

It sounds like home.

* * *

They end up riding to the carnival with Ludwig, who is the only one of Percy's siblings that doesn't mind Trinket shedding all over his upholstery. He joins them for a trip through the petting zoo, where Percy hangs back with Trinket while Vex and Ludwig fawn over the animals. Percy takes a ridiculous amount of pictures with his phone, his favorites including Ludwig with an armful of chickens and Vex, near tears, cradling a bunny to her chest. He sends that one to Keyleth, who responds with an obscene amount of emojis.

Vex is pouting when they finally leave, and it's so adorable he has to laugh. "We'll come back later," he promises, linking their hands. "But I'm getting hungry, and the Zenith has soup and sandwiches all afternoon." He also has a surprise for her that is somewhat time sensitive. "There's also coffee."

She rolls her eyes and starts leading them a little bit faster towards the temple of Pelor. "Next time, lead with coffee."

He pulls out his phone as they walk and sends a quick text, only has to wait a moment before it's buzzing with a response.

"Who're you texting?" Vex asks, and he silently curses her perceptiveness.

"Keyleth," he lies, pulling up the conversation to show her. "She wanted pictures of all the cute animals."

She watches him scroll through a slew of messages from the past hour. "Gods, Percy, how many pictures did you take?"

"A lot," he admits, only slightly embarrassed. "You and my brother were very cute, I couldn't help it."

"Mhmm." Her skeptical glare softens, and she actually looks a little sheepish. "Did you get any with the bunnies?"

_[outgoing text to Kash Money]_

_-finally managed to wrangle Vex away from the petting zoo, heading to the Zenith now_

**-k**

* * *

The temple is warm, not super crowded like she'd feared, and they let her bring Trinket inside. The soup and sandwich are actually pretty good, and the coffee isn't the worst church coffee she's ever tasted. And Vex has a sneaking suspicion that something is afoot.

Percy can't sit still, for one. He only fidgets this bad when he's nervous about something. Add to that the fact that he keeps glancing at his phone, and that he's positioned himself to best watch the stream of people coming through the temple doors? Yeah, something's up.

It's cute that he thinks he can pull one over on her, so she decides to play along for now.

"I have to admit," she starts, finishing off the last of her soup, "the food's better than I was expecting."

He smiles innocently. "Would you say it was a...religious experience?"

For lack of anything better, she crumples her empty coffee cup and throws it at him. "That was _terrible _Percy."

"I don't know about that, dearest," a familiar voice says from behind her. Vex freezes in her seat. "It wasn't nearly as bad as this coffee."

Vex is out of her chair and wheeling around to come face-to-face with Zahra Hydris. She bounces in place and squeals before throwing her arms around Zahra, letting the other woman lift her off her feet.

"What the _fuck _are you doing here?" she demands once they part.

"I could ask you the same thing," Zahra says, arching an eyebrow. "Last I heard, you were gearing up for a miserable holiday in Syngorn."

Vex sighs. "Long story short; my dad's a dick, and Percy made sure I didn't have to spend the holiday alone." She arches her own brow. "And don't think I can't tell when you're stalling, Zahra Hydris. What are you doing in Whitestone?"

"Well, the Slayers and I will be performing at the lighting ceremony tonight," she says. "Kash and the rest are getting things set up, but I've got a while before I have to be back for sound check, so I've come to kidnap you for a couple of hours."

Vex turns to Percy, who is looking entirely too smug. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me?"

"That's kind of the definition of a surprise, dear," he says, sipping his coffee. "And, technically, I _arranged _all of this and I didn't tell you."

"Percy's the one that gave our band's name to the planning committee," Zahra explains. "And today's play date was his idea."

Vex beams at him. "You're the best."

He shrugs, blushing hard. "Debatable."

"Take the compliment, Percival," Zahra says. She takes Vex's hand. "I'm going to get this one some _real _coffee, for starters, and then we'll see where the afternoon takes us."

She kisses Percy goodbye. She doesn't know why she does it, it's not as if there's anyone here for them to put on an act for, but she leans across the table and presses her lips to his. He tastes like bad coffee and good soup, and why the fuck is that so endearing? "I'll find you before the concert, alright?" she whispers, and he just nods, looking as stunned as she feels.

Vex links arms with Zahra, whistles Trinket to her side, and leads them out of the temple.

She doesn't need to look at Zahra to know that there's mischief sparkling in her eyes. "Alright, Vex'ahlia, I think I need to hear the long version."

* * *

Percy wanders around the festival in a state of shock, trying to work out exactly what just happened. Vex kissed him is the short answer. But _why _did Vex kiss him? They were alone, save for Zahra, and they certainly weren't faking anything for Zahra.

The obvious answer seems to be that she _wanted _to kiss him. But if Vex wanted to kiss him, if she wanted something beyond friendship with him, why hasn't she come out and said it? In his experience, Vex isn't one to not go after something she wants. She'll hide her true feelings at times, but once she's expressed a desire for something, she acts. Is it possible that she wants him, but is just too afraid to act on it for whatever reason? The small, hopeful part of him says yes.

The practical side of him says that she's just trying to make kissing each other less awkward. She's certainly been more casually affectionate with him around his family these past few days. She's teasingly mentioned that he needs to stop acting so surprised whenever she touches him before his family figures them out. So, yes, that feels like a perfectly logical conclusion. Vex is merely trying to get him more comfortable with her so he doesn't give them up.

Satisfied (but not really satisfied) with his logic, Percy finally starts paying attention to his surroundings. He's in the middle of the carnival, a row of overpriced concessions on one side, and a row of horrendously rigged games on the other. He spies Julius and Arlo at one of the game booths and makes his way over to them. The game is one that Percy and Julius spent a great deal of their hard-earned allowance on year after year before they realized that the games were all designed to make winning nearly impossible. Arlo is holding a toy rifle, attempting to shoot out the middle of a target that the operator moves ever so slightly whenever he takes a shot. He growls in frustration as he runs out of pellets and hands over another five dollars.

"He does realize that everything here is rigged, right?" Percy asks, just low enough to not catch the attention of the weasel behind the counter.

Julius smiles fondly. "Yeah, but he's a stubborn bastard. He'll run out of cash before he admits defeat."

"We weren't so different when we were kids."

"No, we weren't." They watch in silence for a couple minutes. "Where's Vex?"

"The lead singer of the band that's performing tonight is a friend," Percy explains. "They're catching up before the show."

Julius nods. "What do you think?" he asks as Arlo reloads. "Could you figure out a way to beat this schmuck?"

Percy pays closer attention to the game as Arlo starts his last attempt. The operator isn't all that slick, Percy realizes, he's just relying on the players focusing on the target and not that he moves it in the same pattern every time. "Give me a few goes at it, and I think I could."

His brother grins, holds out twenty dollars. "I will pay to watch you embarrass this man," he says. "Start browsing the prizes now. Find something Vex is gonna love."

* * *

To her credit, Zahra listens without judgment, and mostly without comment. She seems content to drink her latte and let Vex ramble about the increasingly ridiculous situation she's found herself in. It feels good to let it all out, and she knows that Zahra won't coddle or dismiss her.

"I really don't know what I'm going to do, Zahra," she finishes, her voice breaking.

Zahra steeples her fingers and studies Vex. "What do you want to do, darling?"

Vex takes a deep breath, exhales. "I want to tell Percy how I really feel about him," she admits, so soft she can barely hear herself. "And I want him to feel the same way and for us to live happily ever after."

Zahra laughs, but it's not unkind. "Well, putting aside that you have no control over the second two, what's stopping you from telling Percy how you feel?"

She bites her lip. "I'm scared."

"Of..."

Vex sighs. "Of rejection," she starts, "of completely fucking things up with the best friend I've ever had aside from my brother. Scared of losing him because I couldn't just get over myself."

"For starters, I don't think you're giving Percy nearly enough credit," Zahra says. "Even _if _he doesn't reciprocate your feelings, and that's a big if, he cares for you too much to let a little awkwardness ruin your friendship."

Vex frowns. "Why does everyone I talk to about this _insist _that Percy absolutely has feelings for me?"

Zahra laughs again. "Because we all have eyes, dearest," she says. "He's different with you; softer, kinder. I can't imagine him doing what he's done for you for anyone else."

"But why?" she asks. "I'm serious, Zahra, why me? I'm not-"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Zahra interrupts, fixing her with a serious gaze. "You _are _special, Vex'ahlia. You are good enough, and you are worthy of love, and fuck anyone who tries to tell you otherwise." Her demeanor softens. "I can't tell you why. Only one person can tell you why, and you refuse to talk to him about this."

Vex scowls. "Why do I have to be the one to initiate this conversation? If he does like me the way everyone says he does, why hasn't _he _said anything?"

"Maybe he's scared, too," Zahra says. "You can be rather intimidating, love."

"Really hard to tell if that's a compliment, or not," Vex says.

Zahra winks. She takes both of Vex's hands in hers. "You will figure this out, alright? I have faith."

Vex smiles sadly. "I wish I had your confidence."

Zahra chuckles. "You know what I think? I think the both of you need to stop thinking so much and just act. Let go. Defeat your inhibitions."

Vex's eyes narrow. "Zahra, did you just suggest getting drunk and spilling my guts as a viable solution to this problem?"

She just winks again. "Those words never left my mouth." The alarm on Zahra's phone goes off and she groans. "I wish I didn't have to go, but I really shouldn't miss sound check."

"Don't worry about it, go be awesome." Vex hugs Zahra tight. "Thank you for dealing with all of my emotional vomit."

"I could tell you needed it," Zahra says, kissing her on the cheek.

"The next time we get together, no drama," Vex promises. "Just gossip. And good booze."

Zahra laughs. "I'm already looking forward to it."

Vex watches her go, finishing the coffee she's been neglecting for almost an hour. She scritches Trinket behind the ears to get his attention. "C'mon, buddy, let's go find Percy."

* * *

Vex meets Percy back by the Sun Tree. Rather, Vex and Trinket meet Percy and a hoard of stuffed animals by the Sun Tree. She's laughing hysterically, and he looks proud of himself, if a little sheepish.

"Holy shit," she says once she's gained control of herself. "How many carnival games did you win?"

He scratches the back of his neck. "Technically only one," he says. "I just won it multiple times. On an unrelated note, I have been banned from the carnival."

She counts at least eight stuffed animals as she sits down beside him. "What are you planning on doing with all of these?"

"I figured I'd donate most of them to the local preschool," he says. "But this one is for you." He hands her a large brown teddy bear dressed in a suit of armor.

"Oh my god." She squishes the bear between them giving Percy a hug. "I love him. He's so fucking cute."

Percy laughs. "I'm glad you like him. I was scared you might think him a bit silly."

"Percy, no, he's perfect." She kisses him on the cheek, and she is definitely no longer talking about the bear. "This is perfect."


	7. Ice, Ice, Baby

_[incoming text from the cool de rolo]_

_-i’m going to tear my hair out_

_-they’re so cute. and so oblivious. it’s so frustrating_

_-how are two of the smartest people i know so clueless????_

_-_ **preaching to the choir here**

**-try living with them**

_-i can’t even imagine_

_-we need to step up our game if we’re going to get anywhere_

**-...**

**-i have an idea**

**-and my sister will kill me if she ever finds out i suggested this**

**-but i can almost guarantee results**

_-i’m listening_

**-two words**

**-ice. skating.**

* * *

It’s nearly noon by the time Percy makes it down to the kitchen on Saturday. He’d stayed up late last night in his workshop, working on presents for his family, losing track of time and not falling into bed until almost dawn. As expected, he’d woken alone. Vex had left a note for him saying she was taking Trinket on a walk through the city, and she’s not back yet, as far as he can tell.

Vesper, Ludwig, and the twins are still at the table, his mother perched on a stool by the counter. He gets himself a bagel and a cup of coffee and sits down next to Whitney, who has her sketchbook out and is concentrating hard on the bowl of fruit in front of her.

“I have a still life class next semester,” she says, before he can even ask. “And I suck at still life. So I need to practice so I don’t fail and have to retake the class.”

“Which means none of us are allowed to have a fucking banana,” Oliver says, scowling.

Whitney rolls her eyes. “I didn’t say you couldn’t have a banana, Ol, just wait until I’m done.”

“At the rate she’s going, you won’t get that banana until after Winter’s Crest,” Ludwig says, not even looking up from his book.

“Oh my god, you guys are such assholes.”

Percy sighs. “It’s too early for this shit,” he mutters. “And, yes, I realize what I just said, shut up,” he adds before any of his siblings can interject.

“Late night, dear?” Johanna asks, quietly amused.

He nods. “Lost track of time in the workshop.”

“Oooh,” Whitney says. “What are you making?”

Percy sips his coffee. “You’ll find out in about two weeks.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Homemade gifts, Percy? What are you, twelve?”

“Shut up and draw your bananas.”

“Alright, alright,” Johanna says. “While I appreciate the vivid flashback to your childhoods, can you please stop harassing each other for five minutes?”

He’s tempted to protest that Whitney started it, but gets distracted by Vex and Trinket coming back from their walk.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she says, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek as she passes by. “Though, is it technically still morning?”

He rolls his eyes. “You could have woken me up.”

“Oh please,” she scoffs. “I know how grumpy you are when you first wake up.”

Vesper catches his eye over her phone, smirking. “So, Percy, Vex, now that you're both here, I have a question. I was wondering if the two of you have any plans for today?”

“I don’t believe we do,” Percy says, glancing at Vex.

She shrugs. “None that I can think of, no.”

Vesper beams. “Perfect. Because I've been thinking about how long it’s been since any of us went to the skating pond.”

Oliver gasps. “Ooh yes, we should totally go ice skating today.”

“I’m game,” Percy says, turning to Vex. “What do you think?”

She hesitates, her hands gripping her mug just a little bit tighter. “Oh, um, I don’t know,” she says. “Uh, I don’t-”

“You don’t have skates here, of course,” Vesper finishes, and Percy gets the distinct impression that that’s _not _what Vex was about to say. “What’s your shoe size? I’m sure we have an extra pair that will fit.”

“An 8 should be fine,” Vex says, though she still sounds wary to Percy.

“Your skates should fit her, right Mum?” Whitney says.

“They should, yes,” Johanna agrees. “I’ll have to dig them out of the closet, but you can borrow them if you’d like.”

Vex smiles. “I appreciate that, thank you.”

“Awesome,” Vesper says. “We can go after lunch.”

* * *

Vex isn’t panicking. Nope. Not at all. She’s fine. This is fine.

Alright, that’s a lie.

“Vex, are you okay?” Percy asks.

She considers lying. They’re on their way to the skating pond, she’s committed at this point. But he’s always had a knack for seeing right through her, and, well, he’s going to find out the second they hit the ice anyway.

“Um, okay, here’s the thing,” she starts, laughing nervously. “I can’t skate.”

“You can’t skate,” he repeats. “Have you never been?”

“Oh, no, I’ve been,” she says. “My dad even put me in lessons for a bit, but I was absolute rubbish. Broke my wrist three weeks in, and switched to archery after it healed.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“I don’t know,” she groans. “It all happened very fast, and I panicked and just sort of went with it.” She sighs. “I’m going to look like an idiot, aren’t I?”

He just shrugs. “I honestly doubt any of my siblings are going to care,” he says. “Whitney and Julius can’t skate at all either. And Ludwig can only stay upright if he goes slow.” He gives her a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine. At the very least, I can help you stay on your feet.”

* * *

Percy doesn’t help her stay on her feet. He makes a valiant effort. He really does. Vex is just...phenomenally bad at ice skating.

She winces as he helps her to her feet yet again. Her feet slip, threatening to go out from under her, but he manages to keep her from falling back on her ass.

“You okay?” he asks. “That one looked like it hurt.”

She nods. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to get out of bed tomorrow, but I’ll live.” She gives him a small smile. “At least I haven’t brought you down with me yet.”

That jinxes them, because of course it does. She’s caught on to his rhythm, is actually feeling like she’s starting to improve, and then it all goes tits up. They round a curve just a little faster than she’s expecting, and then her skate catches on a rough patch of ice, and they go down. Hard.

Vex lands flat on her back, gets the wind knocked out of her, and then Percy lands on top of her, taking even more of her breath away.

She’s vaguely aware of his hand cradling her skull, of him frantically asking if she’s okay. But all she can focus on is the weight of his body on hers, how right it feels to be pressed so close to him. She whimpers at the thought, and his eyes go wide above her, every line of his face etched with concern.

“Vex, say something, please,” he begs. “Anything, dearest. Please.”

“I’m-I’m okay,” she says, her voice hoarse. She doesn’t think it’s a lie. She’ll need a good long soak in the hot tub later, but nothing feels broken at the very least. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

He helps her sit up, and then pulls her into his lap, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Not your fault,” he murmurs. “You just scared the shit out of me. I thought you might have a concussion or...or worse.”

She snuggles closer. “I’m really okay, Percy,” she says, nuzzling his collar. “But I think I’m done skating for the day.”

“That’s probably for the best,” he agrees. “Do you want to head back to the house?”

Vex nods. “If I’m going to be able to move at all tomorrow, I think I’m going to need to spend some time in the hot tub.” She winks, feeling suddenly bold. “You’re more than welcome to join me.”

Percy grins, and she thinks she detects a hint of flirtation that's so rarely there. “It would be my pleasure.”

* * *

_[incoming text from the cool de rolo]_

_-i think our evil plan is working_

_-IMG_6978.jpg_

_-IMG_6979.jpg_

_-IMG_6980.jpg_

_-IMG_6981.jpg_

_-IMG_6982.jpg_

**-brb, screaming over how cute they are**

**-i told my gf about our plan btw**

**-and she was scolding me for meddling in my sister's love life**

**-but then i showed her the pics u sent**

**-and now she's fully on board**

_-*high five emoji*_

**-*high five emoji***


	8. Faith, Trust, and Stardust

Vex finds Percy in his workshop in the middle of the night for what is probably the third or fourth night in a row. He’s currently hunched over the table, an engraving tool poised over a pendant in the shape of a crescent moon. Whitney’s present. She recognizes it from the sketches he’d shown her a few weeks ago. She also remembers the intricate design he’s planning to etch into the metal. It’s gorgeous, and his sister will absolutely adore it, but it’s not something he’ll be able to replicate when he’s been working for as long as he has. When he’s as obviously tired as he is.

When his hands are shaking so badly she can see it from the door.

“Percy.” She says his name softly, not wanting to startle him, but he barely reacts. She knows he knows she’s there, but he’s ignoring her in favor of glaring at his hand, as if he can will the tremors away. “Percy, it’s three in the morning.”

He sighs. “I know,” he says, rubbing at his eyes. “Go back to bed, I’ll be up soon.”

She bites back the urge to call him on his bullshit. If she leaves him down here, he won’t crawl into bed until nearly dawn, if he doesn’t just fall asleep at his workbench. “You’ve already been down here for hours,” she says, approaching slowly. She closes her hand over his, removes the engraving tool from his hand and laying it on the table. “This will all still be here tomorrow, just come to bed.”

He makes a noise, somewhere between a whine and a groan. “I need to get this done,” he protests.

“What you need is sleep,” she counters.

“I don’t have _time _to sleep,” he says, his voice breaking. “Winter’s Crest is so close, and I still have so much to do. I’m barely halfway done, and some pieces have to be done before others so I can get them to the jeweler. And I’ve been sitting here getting nothing done for almost an hour because my hands won’t stop fucking _shaking_.”

“Oh, _Percy_.” She kneels on the bench beside him, pulls him into a hug. “It’s going to be okay,” she murmurs, running a hand through his hair. “I promise you, your family will understand if you don’t get everything finished by Winter’s Crest. I think they’d be more upset knowing you were working yourself to exhaustion.”

He sniffles. “I just wanted to do something special for them.”

“I know,” she says, soothing. “But these gifts will be just as special whether you give them next week, next month, or even next year. And you _have _to take care of yourself, darling. This isn’t healthy.”

“I know,” he says. “And I’m sorry if I worried you. I don’t _like _it when I get like this, I just...can’t always help it.”

Vex hums. “Lucky for you, I’m here to be a voice of reason.”

Percy chuckles. “Lucky for me, indeed.”

She pulls back, but keeps his hands in hers. “Does this mean you’ll come up to bed with me?”

He nods. “I think that’s a good idea, yes.”

“And will you at least try to let yourself relax?” she asks. “I’m not saying abandon your projects entirely, but maybe more breaks, less working until the crack of dawn?”

“I’ll do my very best,” he promises. “Though, I may occasionally require your help.”

Vex smiles. “I think I can handle that.”

* * *

True to his word, Percy does spend less time in his workshop over the next three days. It’s a marginal difference, sure, but he joins Vex for meals at the very least, even if he is up working past midnight all three nights.

She isn’t presented with an opportunity to get him out of the house until Thursday morning. She’s on the phone with Vax, content to listen to her brother talk. He’s regaling her with a story about a scavenger hunt when Keyleth says something unintelligible in the background.

“Oh, right,” Vax says. “Kiki wants me to ask if you and Freddie are planning on watching the meteor shower tonight.”

“Meteor shower?” It takes her a moment to remember. Percy’s mentioned it on multiple occasions, actually. It’s supposed to be the biggest one in almost a decade, and she knows he’s been anticipating it for months. “Shit, that is tonight, isn’t it? I think we’ve been so busy that Percy completely forgot about it.”

Vax hums. “Maybe you should remind him then,” he suggests.

“Yeah...” she mutters, the gears already turning in her head. “Do you mind if we cut this short?” she asks. “I have a plan in mind, and not a lot of time to execute it.”

She can almost see her brother’s shit-eating grin. “I expect full details.”

Vex finds Ludwig in the library, staring down the screen of his laptop, his fingers poised to type but not actually moving.

She sits down beside him, grateful that he isn’t wearing headphones for once. “Are you busy?” she asks hopefully.

He sighs loudly, and she catches a glimpse of a blank word document before he’s shoving his computer away. “Apparently not,” he grumbles. “What do you need?”

“Hypothetically speaking, where would the best place in Whitestone be to watch _this_?” She hands him her phone, which has an article about the meteor shower pulled up.

Ludwig’s face lights up with a conspiratorial grin. “Hypothetically speaking...how opposed are you to a bit of a hike?”

* * *

Percy is confused. Under normal circumstances, he hates confusion, would prefer to know everything that’s happening. But right now, Vex is the source of his confusion, and he trusts Vex implicitly. So he’s decided to just go along with it.

He lets Vex coax him out of his workshop in the middle of the day, doesn’t question it when she tells him to dress warm and meet her in the foyer. He does raise an eyebrow when she leads him to Vesper’s car, but he gets in the passenger seat nonetheless and only asks if she knows where she’s going.

She waves her phone at him. “That’s the beauty of GPS, darling. And if that fails, I’ve got you.”

She drives them to the Parchwood, parks close to one of the many hiking trails. There’s a thought niggling at the back of Percy’s mind. That he should _know _why they’re here. But he can’t quite piece it together.

Vex is over by the large park map, muttering to herself. She seems to be trying to find a specific path, and he’s about to offer his assistance when she brightens with understanding and skips back to his side.

“Okay,” she says, clapping excitedly. “We just have to grab a couple of things from the car and we can be on our way.”

“And I still don’t get to know where we’re going?” he asks.

Vex just grins. “What? And ruin the surprise?”

He sighs and shakes his head, accepts the insulated bag that she hands him. “What’s in this?” he asks, testing its weight.

“Soup and coffee,” she says, slinging a larger bag over her shoulder. “I have water too, if we need it.” She holds out her hand, wiggles her fingers until he takes it. “Are you ready?”

He thinks he’ll never be fully ready for her, but he smiles. “Lead the way.”

* * *

The sky is beginning to darken when they finally reach their destination; a hilltop lookout that served as a watch tower for the Grey Hunters once upon a time. Recently it’s been remodeled into a picnic spot, complete with benches and a gazebo and a picturesque view of the mountains. That nagging thought returns with a vengeance.

Vex is brushing snow off of one of the benches and covering it with a thick blanket. She settles in, pats the space beside her. “Come sit.”

Percy sits, and Vex is immediately snuggling closer, pulling another blanket out of her bag to wrap around their shoulders. She checks her phone. “Okay, we still have a few minutes to wait. Do you want coffee?”

He hands her the thermos. “Vex, what are we doing out here?” he asks. “What are we waiting for?”

She rolls her eyes fondly. “So impatient. Just trust me. You’ll see.”

They spend most of the next twenty minutes in silence, eating and drinking, making occasional attempts at small talk. He’s ducked down, packing the soup back in the bag, when he hears Vex gasp above him. She taps his shoulder. “Percy, look.”

He glances up and freezes in place at the sight above him. It starts with one, and then two more, and then half a dozen meteors are streaking across the sky. When he can finally tear his gaze away to look at Vex, he can’t stop the awe from leaking into his voice. “You remembered.”

She ducks her head, blushing. “I mean, not really? Vax was the one who reminded me it was tonight. And then I realized I hadn’t heard you mention it for a while, so I figured you must have forgotten.”

“Why all the secrecy?”

She shrugs. “I wanted to do something nice for you,” she says, taking his hand. “You’ve been so good to me, Percy, so incredibly sweet. And I know this week has been beyond stressful.” She smiles shyly. “It was the least I could do.”

“Vex...I...” He tries to find the words to express what this means to him, this simple gesture. They don’t exist. Not in a way he can articulate without kissing her face off. And that would be incredibly poor form. So he settles for, “Thank you.”

Vex shakes her head, rubs her thumb over his knuckles. “You don’t have to thank me,” she says. “I just did what any friend would have done.”

He opens his mouth to argue, to point out that even Keyleth, who he considers his very best friend, would have just texted him, that she has certainly gone above and beyond what any normal friend would have done. But there’s something in her expression that stops him, a sparkle in her eyes that is more than just a reflection of the sky.

She tilts her face back up to watch the meteor shower. “You know, I’ve never actually seen a meteor shower before,” she says. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” If she notices that he’s staring at her instead of the night sky, she doesn’t comment. He swears he can still see the blush staining her cheeks. “Gorgeous.”

He has to talk to _someone_. Vesper, his mother, even Vax, if all else fails. Because he is undeniably in love with Vex. And now he’s not so certain that she doesn’t feel the same for him.


	9. Shopping and Shipping pt. 1

Vex is in the library reading when Vesper and Whitney corner her Saturday afternoon. Whitney drops onto the couch beside her with a flounce, plucks the book from her hands and sets it on the table.

Vex frowns. “Um...hi?”

“Hi,” Whitney chirps. “Do you and Percy have any plans for today?”

She shakes her head. “No. He said he’d be out with your mother all day, why?”

“We’re going shopping,” Vesper says from where she’s perched on the arm of the couch, “and we’d like for you to come with us.”

“We’re getting dresses for the ball,” Whitney adds, practically vibrating with excitement.

Vex smiles. “I don’t need a dress myself, but that does sound like fun.”

Whitney eyes her suspiciously. “Is it that blue one you wore to the Harvest Close auction?” she asks. “Because, and don’t get me wrong it’s a gorgeous dress, but I’ve definitely seen you wear it on three separate occasions.”

“It’s more like five, actually,” Cass says from the doorway, making Vex jump.

“Not that that’s a bad thing,” Vesper adds quickly. “We just thought you might like the chance to look for something new.”

“I appreciate that, I do,” Vex says, unable to stop the flush of embarrassment from heating up her face. “But I really can’t afford it. It may not seem like much to you, but that’s rent, tuition, Trinket’s vet bills. I mean, there’s a reason I live with seven other people.”

There’s a long pause. “Okay, we kind of fucked that up,” Whitney says. “And this is going to sound totally patronizing now, but I _swear _it’s not.”

“It’s a gift,” Vesper clarifies, squeezing Vex’s shoulder. “But only if you’re comfortable accepting it. It’s possible that we got a little too excited with the idea and didn’t stop to fully think it through.”

She can’t look up at them, not with tears brimming in her eyes, not with that ugly little voice sounding in her head that she _doesn’t deserve this_, _they’re being so nice and she’s an awful person who’s _lying _to them. _“I don’t...I don’t know.”

“Come with us anyway,” Cass offers. “And _if _you find something you really like, we can work it out.”

“Yeah, okay,” she agrees, fully intending to not even try to look. “That sounds good.”

* * *

The dress boutique is smaller than Vex was anticipating, and infinitely less crowded. There's only a few other customers in the store, despite it being peak business hours the weekend before the holiday.

Vesper just shrugs when Vex mentions it. "Jordanna's is the smallest dress shop in the city. And one of the more expensive," she admits. "Anyone who hasn't already bought a dress is either not planning on going, or they're over at the mall. But Jordanna's been a friend of the family for years, so we try to come here as often as we can."

They're quickly greeted by Jordanna herself, a lovely woman, about Vex's age, with short blonde hair. After a brief introduction, Vesper and Whitney peel off to follow Jordanna, who already has a few selections set aside for them. Vex is directed to browse as she likes, and is even shown to the racks by a very chipper salesgirl. Much to her surprise, Cass tags along with her instead of following her sisters.

“You’re not going with them?” she asks, pretending to examine one of the display dresses. It’s...kind of awful really. Yellow and frilly with far too many rhinestones.

Cass wrinkles her nose and steers Vex into the racks. “I don’t do dresses,” she explains. “I’m getting a suit fitted with the boys tomorrow, but Whitney pouts if I don’t at least tag along.”

They browse quietly for about ten minutes before Cass speaks up again. “I know you’re not actually dating my brother.”

Vex stops short, swallows hard. “Excuse me?”

“I know you’re not Percy’s girlfriend,” she says. She sounds more pensive than angry, and when Vex ventures a glance at her, her expression is neutral. “I don’t know why the two of you decided to lie, I’m sure you have your reasons. I don’t care about that.”

“But you do care about your brother,” Vex says, and Cass nods.

“My brother is talented in a lot of ways,” she starts. “But he’s not a particularly good actor. Percy is in love with you, or he’s on his way at the very least. I don’t want him to get hurt.” She pauses for a moment, considering. “I think the reason that I’m not as upset as I would normally be is that I’m fairly certain you’re in love with him too.”

Vex takes a deep breath and nods. “Yeah,” she admits softly, tears stinging her eyes. “Fuck.”

Cass smirks, but quickly turns serious again. “Tell him,” she says. “I don’t know what outcome you’ve been imagining, but it can’t be worse than the pain of never knowing, of always wondering _what if_.”

“What if we try and it falls apart?” she asks. “I don’t want to hurt him, but I very easily could. I hide behind masks and bottle shit up, and I pretend that _everything’s fine _when it’s not. I’ve never had a relationship last longer than a couple of months. I’m terrified of starting something with Percy and it failing because of me.”

“So you’re not even going to try?” Cass asks. She sighs. “Everybody fucks up, Vex. We’re people, it’s what we do. Sure, if you don’t try you can’t fail, but you can’t succeed either.” She takes Vex’s hands in hers. “I obviously can’t tell the future, but you and Percy are good for each other. And I think you’re both smart enough, and care about each other enough to make it work.”

Vex smiles. “Thank you,” she says. “It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

“That’s all I ask,” Cass replies. “Now, let’s find that gold dress you’ve gone back to four times and get you into a fitting room.”

* * *

The dress is perfect. It’s absolutely stunning, it fits perfectly, she looks _damn _good. She feels like a fucking princess. She loves it, it’s perfect.

Which is exactly why she didn’t want to do this in the first place. Because she saw the price tag, and she just...can’t. It’s two weeks’ pay from the bar, nearly a full month’s rent, next semester’s text books, a hundred other things she’d have to take care of before she could justify buying this dress for herself. And while she knows the offer that’s on the table from Percy’s sisters, it just feels wrong to accept. It feels dishonest, even if Whitney is the only one in the dark.

A knock on the door interrupts her thoughts before they can spiral any further. “Vex?” Vesper calls. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, just a minute.” She smooths her hands over lace and tulle before unlocking the door and cracking it open. Vesper slips in, back in her street clothes, and her jaw drops.

“Oh, _wow.”_

Vex smiles despite herself. “Yeah, it’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Vesper snorts. “_Pretty? _Vex, it’s fucking gorgeous.” She grins, and Vex can see Percy in the way her eyes light up. “Do you want to get it?”

Vex sighs, looks down at her hands. “My heart says yes, but my bank account says fuck no.” She holds up a hand before Vesper can interject. “Before you say anything, I don’t feel right accepting this.” She looks at her, pleading. “It’s too much. I can't stop feeling like I'm taking advantage of you all.”

“Does this have anything to do with you not actually dating my brother?”

She nods. “It feels wrong. Manipulative. Like I’m only here because of what I might get out of it.”

“Well,” Vesper starts, “if it influences your decision at all, this has nothing to do with you and Percy. Cass and I are both aware that you two aren't dating. And I don't think anyone here doubts how much you care for him, but this isn't about him. You’re our friend,” she says. “We wanted to do something nice. And maybe we approached it all wrong, I don’t know, but we never meant for you to feel indebted to us or to Percy. And if we hurt your feelings or embarrassed you in any way, I’m really sorry. That wasn't our intention.”

“I know,” she says. "You didn't do anything wrong." She pauses to collect her thoughts. “I spent too many years being made to feel worthless. Kindness came with a price, gifts were given with the implication of not being deserved. It kind of fucked me up, believe it or not.” She sighs. “And then Vax and I were in a position where we didn’t have anyone else to rely on. So there’s a bit of pride mixed in there too. I feel like I should be able to take care of things by myself, that I shouldn’t have to ask for help.”

Vesper nods. “What do you want to do?”

“I can’t afford to pay for all of it,” she says. “Not even half, honestly. I could maybe do a third, but the smart choice would be to put it back on the rack and forget about it.”

“Or...you could just let us take care of it like we originally intended.”

Vex sighs. “You’re really not going to give up on that are you?”

“Look, if it truly makes you uncomfortable, we can work something out,” Vesper offers. “But I promise you, we wouldn’t be offering if we didn’t mean it. And I don’t want you to end up regretting your decision. Honestly, the look on my brother’s face alone when he sees you in this will make it all worth it.”

Vex mulls it over, tries to find any reason to say no that isn’t born of her insecurities or stubborn pride. She looks in the mirror, and then back to Vesper. “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

Vesper grins. “Positive.”

* * *

_[outgoing text message to Kiki, Pickle]_

_-IMG_7584_

_-well...what do you think?_

**-oh. my. gods.**

** _-i think u mean oh my goddess_ **

** _-bc that is what u r_ **

** _-a goddess_ **

_-omg stopppppp_

**-no she’s right, you look incredible**

** _-if percy doesn’t kiss u immediately i volunteer as tribute_ **

**-same**

_-keyleth, you’re dating my brother_

**-yeah, but he’s not wearing that dress**

**-pike should absolutely be in whitestone when percy sees you in that bc i think he might actually faint**

** _-mood_ **

** _-grog says u look hot_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alternate title for this chapter was "percy's sisters mean well, but rich people are inherently tone-deaf about money ala 'it's a banana, how much can it cost? ten dollars?'"
> 
> next chapter will be Percy's Saturday. I was originally going to have both POVs in this chapter, but it felt more natural to split them up
> 
> and, yes, I will eventually describe Vex's dress in greater detail, but be patient. you guys will "see" the dress when Percy does ;)


	10. Shopping and Shipping pt. 2

Percy doesn’t quite know how to handle his epiphany.

Vex has feelings for him, of that he’s almost certain. He just doesn't know how he should approach that. On the one hand, it feels wrong to just not say anything. Like he’s keeping a secret from her in some weird way. But, on the other hand, Vex hasn’t brought it up either, and he doesn’t want to pressure her into a conversation she isn’t ready for.

If she notices that he’s acting weird all day Friday (and he’s sure that she does. Vex is annoyingly perceptive like that), she doesn’t mention it. He’s back to jumping any time her hand so much as brushes his. He opens his mouth to start the conversation at least half a dozen times, then either changes the subject or dismisses it entirely. She still curls into him when he joins her in his bed, but his brain won’t stop racing, keeping him up half the night and waking him far earlier than normal.

When it becomes clear to Percy that he won’t be falling back to sleep any time soon, he grabs his glasses and sneaks down to his workshop. He dedicates the morning to working on his brothers’ presents, measuring and cutting leather. When all is said and done, he’ll have three nearly identical bracelets.

He’s lost track of time completely when a knock on the door breaks his concentration. There’s really only two options for who it could be. None of his siblings have ever bothered to knock before barging in, and if his father needed him for something, he’d just summon Percy to his office. He takes a moment to hide anything that might ruin a surprise before calling out, “Come in.”

His mother enters the room and he breathes a sigh of relief. It’s not that he doesn’t want to spend time with Vex, but he needs advice and she’s the one person he can’t ask.

His mother sets a mug of coffee in front of him, and he smiles up at her, grateful. “Morning,” he says, stifling a yawn.

“Good morning.” Johanna leans against the table, sips her own cup of coffee. “Are you busy today?”

He considers the leather pieces laid out in front of him. These are technically the last gifts he has to work on. He’d swallowed his pride earlier in the week and commissioned a local jeweler to finish the more intricate pieces that he was never going to get done in time. He thinks he could finish his work today, or at least make a fair amount of headway. But...he needs someone to talk things through with, and his mother is the least likely to laugh at him.

“I don’t have to be,” he says.

“Oh good,” she says. “I was hoping you’d be willing to do some last minute shopping with me today.” She stops him with a hand before he can respond. “I know it’s not your favorite pastime, but we really haven’t been able to spend much quality time together while you’ve been home. And,” she adds with a grin, “you can help me find a present for Vex.”

He nods, takes a drink of coffee. “When were you wanting to leave?”

She shrugs. “How soon can you be ready?”

Percy thinks for a moment. “I’ll need to clean up here, shower, get dressed, let Vex know I’ll be out for the day...” He shrugs. “Maybe half an hour?”

His mother smiles. “It’s a date.”

* * *

They’re out for at least an hour before she says anything, mostly window shopping with the occasional stop into a store to browse. They spend far more time in the used book store than either of them intend, but Percy does leave with presents for his father, Ludwig, and Pike, so he counts it as a win.

They’re walking down the street, searching for somewhere to eat lunch that isn’t the mall food court, when Johanna finally speaks up.

“Is everything alright, sweetheart?” she asks. “It’s just that you’ve been distracted all morning, and I’m hoping that it isn’t anything serious.”

He sighs, gives her a small smile. “I...need some advice,” he starts. “But the situation requires a bit of an explanation, and you’re either going to laugh at me or be rather upset. Neither of which I’m particularly looking forward to.”

“Ahh.” She nods, a smirk forming on her lips. “Does this have anything to do with the dating charade that you and Vex have been playing all month?”

It takes everything in him to not stop short in the middle of the sidewalk. He does gape. Just a little. “How did you...”

She chuckles. “I’m your mother, dear, I know your tells.” She pauses for a moment. “Also, Vesper is a terrible liar. Though, to her credit, she _was _trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why you suddenly had a girlfriend to bring home less than twenty minutes after telling me you’d be on your own.”

“In my defense, it did all happen rather quickly,” he tries. “And I maybe panicked just a little in an attempt to cheer up Vex.”

His mother’s amusement isn’t fading, in fact she seems to be actively trying not to laugh at him. “None of which explains why you felt the need to lie to us.”

He sighs, his neck and cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “Long story short, she needed somewhere to go for the holidays, and since you and Dad decided that only significant others were allowed to join us...”

He’ll admit he deserves the raised eyebrow she gives him. “You know we would have made an exception if you’d asked.”

“I know, I know,” he says. “We did eventually come to that conclusion, but Vex offered to keep up with the ruse so you’d all stay off my back about being single.” He nudges her gently. “I _am _sorry for lying.”

She nudges him back. “Apology accepted. Although it’s difficult to be mad when the two of you are so clearly head over heels for each other.”

Percy has a feeling he’s not going to stop blushing anytime soon. “And that is exactly why I need advice,” he says. He takes a deep breath. “I’m in love with her. And it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it, but I think she might feel the same? And I don’t know what I’m supposed to _do_.”

“Hmm.” She nods slowly. “Have you tried...talking to Vex about this?”

“No.”

“Right. And you _are _awarethat communication is the best foundation for a healthy relationship?”

He sighs. “No, I know,” he says. “I know. But what if I’m wrong?”

“Then all the better for you to find out now, so you can start trying to move on,” she says gently. “Though, for what it’s worth, I don’t think you are. Wrong, that is.”

Percy groans. “I don’t know how you can all be so _certain _of that.”

Johanna laughs. “Well, we all have eyes, sweetheart,” she says. “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed the way Vex looks at you.”

He gives her a dubious look. “And how is that exactly?”

“Well, it’s fairly similar to the way you look at her when you think she’s not paying attention.”

“_Mother.”_

_“_I’m sorry,” she says, patting his arm. “But in all seriousness, Percy, if you take my advice to heart for anything, let it be this. Talk to that girl. Even if it’s only for your own peace of mind.”

He sighs. “If only it were that simple.”

* * *

Vex is still out with his sisters when Percy and his mother return home, so he retreats to his workshop to try to make headway on his last few gifts. He’s been working for maybe an hour when there’s a soft knock on his door and Vex pokes her head in. She looks about how he feels, which is to say, a ball of anxiety.

“Hey,” he says. “How was your day?”

“It was good,” she says brightly, though the smile she gives him is tight. “We went shopping.”

“So I heard.” He pats the bench next to him, and she comes to sit down. “Did you have fun?”

She nods, but he can see the way she can’t keep her leg still, the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Can you distract me, please?” she whispers. “My brain, um, it won’t stop.”

He takes her hand, rubs his thumb over her knuckles. “Whatever you need,” he says. “I assume you've already taken your meds?”

“Yeah,” she says. “Waiting for them to kick in. I just need something to focus on until then.”

“Okay.” He gives her hand a squeeze, looks around his desk for something she can help with. He pulls over a set of leather strips and one of his design sketches. “Will this work?”

She glances at the paper, than raises an eyebrow. “This is Oliver’s Winter’s Crest gift. Are you sure?”

Percy nods. “I trust you,” he says. “And, with your help, I might actually get everything done on time.”

Her eyebrow goes even higher. “Really?” She narrows her eyes. “Have you been sneaking down here in the middle of the night again?”

“A little,” he admits sheepishly. “But I also commissioned a jeweler in town to finish Cass and Vesper’s gifts since they’re the most complicated, and I clearly bit off more than I could chew.”

“Wow.” She looks genuinely impressed. “I’m proud of you, Percy. I know how hard that must have been for you.”

He can feel himself blushing again. “Thanks.” He clears his throat. “Shall we get started?”

They work side-by-side for the better part of two hours, and he can see the tension slowly drain from her shoulders. Eventually, she stops, holds the intricately braided pieces up for his inspection.

“What do you think?” she asks.

“It looks good,” he says. It’s almost finished, actually. All he has left to do is attach the clasp. “Better than good, really. It looks fantastic.” He grins at her. “This was nice. We should do this more often.”

She smiles. “That doesn’t sound like a terrible idea.” She ducks her head. “I can see why you retreat down here sometimes.”

He nods. “Are you feeling better?” She nods. “Did you want to talk about it?”

Vex sighs. “It’s so stupid, honestly,” she says. She’s quiet for long enough that he thinks that’s all she’s going to say on the subject. “Your sisters bought me a dress,” she says finally. “And I guess I just felt really weird about it.”

“How so?”

She shrugs. “Like I didn’t deserve the gift?” she says. “Because we aren’t actually dating, and that’s a lot of money to spend on your brother’s not-girlfriend.” She sighs again. “It felt dishonest.”

“Well, you know that Vesper’s known the truth all along,” he starts.

Vex nods. “Cass knows, too,” she says. “And I was assured by both of them that Whitney wouldn’t care either way.”

Percy nods, takes her hand again. “They all really like you, you know. I promise. They did this because they wanted to, not because they felt obligated to.”

"I know," she says. "Vesper told me as much when I tried to decline."

"At least try to trust that she meant it," he tells her. "You have nothing to feel guilty for."

She laughs softly. “Tell that to my anxiety.”

“Yeah. I know that feeling all too well,” he says. They're quiet for a moment. “Did this help?" he asks. "Even just a little?"

“More than a little,” Vex says, wiping away a stray tear. “Really, Percy, this was exactly what I needed.”

"I'm happy to have been of service." He smiles, tucks an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “And I’ll always be here if you need me.”

She kisses him on the cheek, and his heart leaps into his throat. “I’m going to hold you to that, you know.”

He smiles, not even caring that he’s probably broadcasting everything he’s too scared to say out loud. “I’m counting on it.”


	11. So Close

The week passes in a blur, and with every attempt Vex makes to start _that _conversation with Percy, something else pops up to interrupt them. A last minute dress fitting, Percy having to run into town to pick up his finished presents before the shop closes for the holidays, another trip to the skating pond (though she stays _off _the ice this time), an awkward phone call from her father. She’s almost relieved in a way. For all that she knows the conversation is necessary, she has no idea how to go about starting it. And everyone’s advice of just ripping the band-aid off, so to speak, is not helping.

The day of the ball arrives, and Percy and Vex spend most of the day holed up in his workshop wrapping presents, watching Netflix, and somehow managing to completely avoid the elephant in the room. She’s just working up her nerve to say something when the door opens and Vesper leans into the room.

“Vex’ahlia,” she says, grinning, “your presence is requested in Whitney’s room for hair and makeup.”

Vex frowns, looks at her phone. “Really?” she asks. “The ball doesn’t start for another three hours.”

“That’s true,” Vesper says, “but Mum wants to get your hair done before dinner.”

Vex sighs. “Alright, fine.” She glances back at Percy before she leaves. “I guess I’ll see you for dinner.”

“Actually, you won’t,” he says. “It’s a silly tradition, but we don’t get to see you ladies until the ball once you’ve started getting ready.”

She snorts. “That is...pretty weird.”

He shrugs. “I know.”

“I’ll see you in a few hours, then,” she says, grinning mischievously. “You’d better have an extra pair of socks handy, Percival. Because I intend to knock yours off.”

Percy grins. “I can’t wait.”

* * *

He’s pacing. He can’t help it. Cass and Vesper and Whitney have all been teasing him about Vex’s dress all week. Pike and Keyleth have even gotten in on it, telling him how stunning it is, how Vex is going to take his breath away. Not that he doubts it, mind you. Vex is gorgeous, even on her worst days. But the anticipation is killing him.

“Percy.” His father puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “You’re going to wear a hole in the floor, son. They’ll be down soon.”

There’s a small commotion on the stairs, and Percy turns to watch his mother and Cass descend, followed closely by Whitney, who is only hampered from skipping down the stairs by her full skirt. Frederick offers his arm to Johanna, and she takes it, beaming.

“Vex’ahlia and Vesper will be down in just a moment,” she tells Percy. “But we really should get going, otherwise they’re going to start the party without us.”

“Can they really do that, though?” Oliver asks, falling into step with his brothers. “This _is_ our house.”

Cass and Whitney stay flanking Percy as he waits at the bottom of the stairs. Whitney is practically vibrating beside him. “Are you ready?” she asks, holding up a strip of black fabric. He pulls away from her, slightly alarmed.

Cass rolls her eyes. “The blindfold was a joke, Whit.” She puts her hand on Percy’s arm. “It was a joke.”

Before his sisters can start bickering, there’s a noise from the staircase. A cleared throat, meant to draw their attention. Percy looks up and barely catches a glimpse of Vesper before he sees Vex standing beside her and all of the breath is knocked from his lungs. He forgets how to breathe for a second.

_Holy shit._

She’s radiant, there’s no other word for it, her complexion practically glowing against the gold of her dress. Her hair is all pulled forward over one shoulder, a waterfall effect created by a series of braids. She ducks her head, blushing under his gaze, and he realizes too late that his mouth is hanging open.

Vesper pats him on the shoulder as she passes, whispers, “I told you it was worth the wait.” She links arms with Whitney and motions to Cassandra. “Come on. Let’s give them a moment.”

Vex meets him at the bottom of the stairs, looks up at him, smiling. “I’m going to take your inability to form words as a compliment.”

He laughs. “Yes,” he assures her. “Gods, yes. You look...incredible.”

She trails her fingers along his tie. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

“Though I must admit, I’m a little surprised,” he says, continuing to drink her in; the lace bodice that’s just a little more sheer than he’d initially realized, the blue flowers embroidered in her skirt and down the length of one sleeve, the golden shimmer across her bared shoulders. “I thought you weren’t a fan of ball gowns.”

Vex shrugs. “I’m usually not, but there’s just something about this dress, you know?” She laughs, swishes her skirt a little. “I think it's the pockets,” she says with a teasing grin.

He laughs. “Practically perfect, then. Though, I do think it’s missing something,” he adds, an idea springing into his head. “Wait here just a minute, I’ll be right back.”

He’s grateful that he didn’t get the chance to wrap her Winter’s Crest gift. It makes it so much easier to find among the parcels on his workbench, and he’s back in the foyer in less than five minutes.

“This was supposed to be for tomorrow,” he says, presenting her with the box. “But I think you’ll see why I want you to have it now.”

She opens the box, gasping loudly when she sees the necklace inside. “Percy...” She looks up at him, stunned. “Did you make this?”

“Not all of it, I’m afraid,” he says. “Only the pendant. I had to have a professional do the chains.”

She runs her thumb across them, three gold strands studded with tiny blue gems. But her focus is on the pendant. “This is your family’s crest,” she finally says.

He nods. “I made sure my parents approved of the design before I started working on it,” he tells her. “I wanted it to serve as a reminder that, no matter what happens between us, you’ll always have a home in Whitestone.”

“Shit,” she whispers, blinking furiously. “Whitney’s going to kill me if I ruin my makeup before we even get to the party.” She takes a deep breath. “Thank you, Percy. You have...no idea how much that means to me. How much all of this has meant, really.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” he says. He lifts the necklace from the box. “May I?”

She turns around, allows him to fasten it around her neck. Once it’s in place, he offers her his arm. “Shall we?”

* * *

The ball is absolutely incredible. They’re in a part of the castle that Vex has only seen once, on her initial tour. The ballroom is crowded with people from all walks of life, all manner of couples dancing to the music of a live orchestra. It's decorated for Winter's Crest, with blue and white fairy lights, and snowdrops adorning every surface. It’s magical.

It’s a little overwhelming.

She spends most of the night at Percy’s side, though she does dance with all of his brothers at least once, and his sisters pull her into a circle with them during one of the faster songs.

It doesn’t hit her until she’s dancing with Percy again, late in the evening, that she doesn’t want this to end. She doesn’t want to go home to their separate beds and separate lives and try to pretend that this never happened. Or worse, have to fake a break up out of the blue. Because no matter what Percy says, she really doesn’t think his family would welcome her with open arms after she presumably broke his heart.

Her thoughts are spiraling before she can stop them, her heart clenching at the thought, her breaths coming quicker and quicker.

Percy stops them in the middle of the dance floor, a hand coming up to cup her cheek. “Vex, are you alright?”

She meets his concerned gaze, whispers, “_Courage_.” and then she’s pulling out of his embrace and running for the nearest exit.

* * *

Vex doesn’t even realize she’s crying until she steps out onto a balcony and feels the cold wind on her face. Her breath is coming in shorter pants, her chest feels like it’s being squeezed in a vice, and she recognizes the signs of an oncoming panic attack. She fumbles her phone out of her pocket and is calling Vax before she even registers what she’s doing. 

Thankfully, her brother answers within the first couple of rings. “Hey, sis, what’s going on?”

“Vax...” She takes a few short breaths. “I...I need...I need your...”

“Okay, okay,” he murmurs. “Just hold on a sec, alright?” She doesn’t quite hear what excuse he makes, but the background noise dies down after a minute. “Okay, step one is breathing exercises. The ones Kima taught you, yeah?”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “Count for me?” He does, his voice grounding her, helping her focus. The knot in her chest slowly loosens until she can take in a deep breath. She lets it out on a shaky exhale.

“Better?”

“For the most part, yeah,” she says. She’s still on edge, fingers drumming on the railing, her thoughts racing, but she’s no longer spiraling. She takes another deep breath. “You were right, Vax.”

“I’m sorry, who are you and what have you done with my sister?”

“_Vax.”_

“Sorry, sorry,” he mutters. “What was I right about?”

Vex sighs. “It was really stupid of me to think that pretending to be Percy’s girlfriend wasn’t going to completely fuck me up.”

He hums sympathetically. “What happened?” he asks. “Last I knew, you were all excited about your fancy ass party.”

“I don’t know,” she says. “We were having a really great time, and then it just hit me out of nowhere that this is all about to end. We’ll be back in Emon in less than a week, and everything goes back to the way it was.”

“And you don’t want it to,” he guesses.

“No,” she says softly. “I mean, shit, Vax, I’m so stupidly in love with Percy, but I can’t seem to work up the nerve to actually tell him.” She sighs. “How did you do it?”

“How’d I do what?” he asks.

“How did you tell Keyleth you had feelings for her?” she asks. “I mean no offense, brother, but you are arguably a bigger disaster than I am, and you’re dating the girl of your dreams.”

Vax laughs. “Well, you’re not wrong about the disaster bit.” She can practically see him scratching the back of his neck. “Um, it was right after a pretty traumatizing ride-along for my EMT training. I started thinking about all the stuff I didn’t want to put off, so I just...went for it. Kissed her, told her I was in love with her.”

“And then she didn’t talk to you for a week.”

He laughs again. “Ah, yeah, that.”

She shakes her head. “And yet, you don’t seem to understand my reluctance to just...go for it.”

“Well, if you never tell him how you feel, things are never going to change,” he says. “And things worked out for me and Kiki, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she mutters.

“Hey, would it help for you to practice with me?”

She frowns. “Excuse me?”

“Y’know,” he says, “just pretend that I’m Percy, and say whatever you’ve been wanting to get off your chest. Then maybe it’ll be easier for you to actually have that conversation with him.”

It sounds ridiculous, but fuck it, why not? “Yeah, alright.” She takes a deep breath. “Hey, Percy, do you have a minute to talk?”

“Sure, Vex,” Vax says in a ridiculous imitation of Percy’s accent. “What’s up?”

“Well, um...shit.” How is she this nervous just talking to her brother? “There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you, god for months now, and if I don’t say it now, I don’t think I ever will.” She blinks back tears. “I’m in love with you, Percy. I have been for...gods, I couldn’t even tell you how long. And I convinced myself for the longest time that you couldn’t _possibly _feel the same way. But after spending these past few weeks with you? Either you’re the best goddamn actor I’ve ever met, or you might just be in love with me, too. And I honestly can’t tell you which option terrifies me more.”

There’s a surprised cough from the doorway behind her, and she freezes, her heart dropping into her stomach. She can just barely hear Vax saying something along the lines of “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” over her heart pounding in her ears as she turns around.

It’s Percy standing there, looking like he’s been walloped over the head with a frying pan, because _of course _it is. “Um, Vax,” she says weakly. “I’m gonna have to call you back.”

Neither of them move or speak for a full minute after she hangs up. When she finally finds her voice, all she can manage is a quiet, “Percy...”

He looks like he’s debating whether he should run to her or not. “Did you mean it?” he asks, sounding as breathless as she feels. “Everything you said just now. Were you serious?”

She nods, crying again. “Yes.”

Percy sighs, all of the tension draining from him. “Thank all of the gods,” he says, and then he’s closing the distance between them and kissing her.

It’s not particularly long or deep, but she still melts into him, still chases his lips with a whine when he pulls back.

“In case it wasn’t clear,” he says, swallowing hard, “the feeling is _very _mutual.”

Vex grins, her chest heaving. “Yeah, I got that.” She grabs his tie and pulls him down for another kiss, one hand tangling in his hair while his arms wrap around her, fitting her body to his.

Fireworks are bursting overhead when they finally have to break apart for air. It’s ridiculous and cliche, and Vex laughs, giddy. “We’re idiots, aren’t we?”

Percy huffs a laugh, his breath warm against her cheek. “We might’ve been,” he admits. “Just a little.”

“What does this mean?” she asks softly after a moment, leaning into him. “Are we, like, a _thing _now?”

“I would certainly hope so.” He kisses her cheek, her nose, her lips. “If that’s what you want.”

She nods. “It’s almost embarrassing how long I’ve wanted this.”

“That is a feeling I know all too well.”

There’s a hunger that’s been building in her with every touch, every kiss. “Now that we’ve settled that,” she starts, licking her lips, “what would you say to finding somewhere private to talk and, um...resetting some boundaries?”

Percy groans, and it is a _delightful _sound that she wants to hear as often as possible. “Gods, yes.”

* * *

_[incoming text from The Annoyance]_

_-where did you go?_

_-is everything okay???_

_-what’s going on?_

**-everything’s fine Vesper**

**-but a...pressing matter came up and we won’t be coming back to the party**

_-we???_

_-PERCY?????_

**-see you in the morning ;)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is brought to you by the song So Close from the Enchanted soundtrack. Happy Valentine's Day y'all ;)


	12. I Must Confess

It is very, very late when Percy wakes next, or very, very early. Possibly both? It doesn’t really matter, if he’s being honest. He’s pleasantly sore, in a way that he hasn’t been in a _while_, and he only has a brief flash of panic when he realizes that the bed is empty beside him, the sheets starting to cool.

Vex’s voice, soft and shy, draws his attention to the balcony doors. “Everything’s fine, Vax, I promise. More than fine.” A light laugh. “Really fucking great, actually.”

He puts his glasses on to study her without squinting. Her hair is wet, she must have gotten up to shower in the time he’s been asleep, a gentle curl showing in the places that have just started to dry. She’s wearing his shirt, too (quite possibly _just _his shirt, and that thought shorts his brain for a moment), one that she definitely had to rummage through his suitcase for.

She catches him staring, shoots him a wink, then yawns very deliberately into her phone. “Oh, gods, sorry,” she says. “Do you mind if we finish this later? I really am kind of exhausted.”

Vex crinkles her nose in disgust at whatever her brother’s response is. “Ew, Vax, don’t make it weird,” she whines. A pause, then she rolls her eyes. “You are _absolutely _making it weird, and I am hanging up before you make it weirder.” She sighs. “Yeah, yeah, I love you too. Happy Winter’s Crest.”

She shakes her head as she hangs up, a fond smile playing at her lips as she climbs back into bed with Percy and settles herself on his lap. She leans in to kiss him, and he can smell his shampoo in her hair, his soap on her skin. “Hi.”

“Hi.” He kisses her softly, barely a brush of lips against hers. His fingers tease the hem of her shirt. “You’re a thief.”

She giggles, entirely unashamed. “Trinket fell asleep on your dress clothes,” she explains, “and your suitcase was closer than mine.”

He refrains from telling her that she could’ve continued to sleep naked, choosing instead to play with the wet strands of her hair. “You showered,” he comments idly, and she can undoubtedly hear the _without me _in his voice.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she says, running her fingers through his hair, and _ooh _that feels nice. “Figured it would probably be wise to not have breakfast with your family smelling of sex.”

Percy laughs. “You could have woken me.”

Vex smirks. “I hate to burst your bubble, darling, but, speaking from experience, sex in the shower is not nearly as fun or sexy as most people seem to think.” She gives him a quick kiss. “Also, you’re very cute when you’re sleeping, and it seemed a shame to wake you.”

He can’t keep the dopey grin off his face. “You think I’m cute.”

She laughs. “I really do.”

They make out languidly for a while, trading soft touches and unhurried kisses until Vex starts yawning, for real this time. She snuggles close, her head on his chest, tangling their legs together. She’s quiet for long enough that he thinks she’s fallen asleep, but her voice cuts through the quiet.

“Should we tell your family about this?” she asks. “Like...all of it?”

Percy sighs. He really doesn’t want to, isn’t fond of the potential humiliation, but... “Probably,” he admits. “Vesper already knows, anyway. As does my mother.”

Vex hums. “And Cassandra.”

“Oh, that’s right,” he groans. “Yes, yes alright. Tomorrow though.” He yawns. “Sleep now.”

He can feel Vex’s laughter muffled in his chest. “Yes, darling. Sleep.”

* * *

It goes well, all things considered. She expects the playful ribbing that they receive, though most of that is aimed at Percy. What she doesn’t expect is how genuinely excited his family seems to be that they’re legitimately together now.

His family likes her, possibly even loves her, and it’s honestly a little overwhelming. For the longest time it was just her and Vax. And even with the past few years, having several friends love her unconditionally, that immediate acceptance feels...strange. Foreign. She doesn’t hate it.

And then there’s this new thing with Percy. She doesn’t hate that either. Loves it, actually. Loves _him_. Enough to truly frighten her sometimes. They could so very easily break each other’s hearts. It’s not something that she ever would have dreamed about risking before.

In this instance though, she thinks, watching Percy sleep soundly beside her, the reward is well worth it.

* * *

“I wish we didn’t have to leave Whitestone.”

Percy looks up at Vex from where he’s packing his suitcase. Their flight is tomorrow. Back to Emon; to Greyskull, and classes, and everyday stresses. Not to mention, they’ll be navigating a brand new relationship on top of all that.

“I get what you mean,” he says. “It’s going to be weird going back to the real world, isn’t it?”

Vex wrinkles her nose. “Not exactly what I meant, actually, but thank you for giving me something new to worry about.”

He winces. “Sorry. That wasn’t my intention.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she says, smirking. “I’m sure I would have thought of it myself eventually.”

“Why don’t you want to leave?”

She sighs. “It’s...hard to put into words, but...” She pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “No place I’ve lived has ever really felt like home. Not since Byroden. Until now.”

He’s speechless for a moment, eyes wide, his heart doing gymnastics in his chest. “Vex...”

She smiles down at him, tearing up a little. “I really did mean it when I told you you had no idea how much this holiday has meant.”

He joins her on the bed, pulling her into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. “We can come back. Whenever you’d like.” He pauses. “Well, alright, maybe not during midterms. But Spring Break, my birthday, _your _birthday. Post graduation... The possibilities are endless.”

She grins. “I’d like that.” She kisses him quick. “I also like the idea of us still being together in six months.”

He blushes, just a bit. “So do I.”

Any further discussion is interrupted by a knock at the door. Vesper pokes her head in, a nervous smile on her face. “Hey. Do you two have a minute to talk?”

Vex removes herself from Percy’s lap, though he does make sure to keep an arm around her. “Sure, what’s up?”

Vesper paces the length of the room a few times. She seems at a loss for words, and Percy is honestly getting a little concerned. He’s never seen his sister quite so agitated.

“Ves? Is everything alright?”

His sister stops pacing, gnaws at her lip. “I kind of have a confession to make?”

Percy and Vex exchange a look. “Oookay...”

Vesper sits down in front of them, wringing her hands in her lap. “I really hope you aren’t too upset with me,” she starts, sighing. “But you two aren’t the only ones that have been keeping a secret this whole time.”

* * *

_[incoming text message from Stubby]_

_-so, brother, i just had an interesting conversation with Vesper_

**-...**

**-i can explain?**

_-you’re damn lucky things worked out with me and Percy_

**-okay that’s fair**

**-but, unlike you, i never had any doubt that they would**

_-vax’ildan_

**-fiiiiine... i love you very much, and i’m very sorry that i meddled in your love life, and i will find a way to make it up to you?**

_-it’s a start_

_-...i love you too_

_-and thank you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for sticking with me and this story, especially with the long wait in between updates (I swear I never meant for this chapter to take a month to get written). We're in the homestretch now, just the epilogue left, which should be up within the week!


	13. Epilogue: One Year Later

"Should we tell them tonight?"

Percy looks up from the suitcase he's unpacking. Vex is sitting cross-legged on the bed (_their _bed, and it's ridiculous that he still gets a giddy rush over that, isn't it?), playing with the engagement ring that rests on a chain around her neck. If anyone asks, it's so she won't lose it at work, but sizing has never been an issue (he would know, he designed the ring himself), and it's almost always tucked under her t-shirt or sweater.

He shrugs. "We can if you like, but only if it's what you really want."

He thinks back to their last trip to Whitestone. Almost two months ago, for his parents' thirtieth anniversary. The ring had been burning a hole in his pocket since her birthday, and when they'd found themselves under the Sun Tree, still in their party clothes with only the moon and stars for company, he'd finally pulled it out and gotten down on one knee. She cried. He cried. All of his carefully planned words fled his brain. She kissed him soundly, answered the question he never actually asked. They got back to the castle late, and then had to rush out early the next morning, never giving his family the chance to notice the ring on her finger.

Vex smiles. "It is," she says. "As fun as it's been, I don't want to keep this a secret anymore."

Their engagement wasn't a _total _secret, to be fair. Vax knew, which meant everyone else in Greyskull knew. They decided to wait to tell their families in person, and it had sort of spiraled from there into them actively hiding it. And Vex was right, it _had _been fun, having this one small thing all for them. But he also couldn't deny the not-so-small part of him that wanted to shout how lucky he was from the rooftops. And this _was _incredibly convenient timing; being back home for Winter's Crest with his parents and all of his siblings in one place.

Percy smiles up at her. "Okay then. How do you want to do this?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. I don't want to make a huge deal out of it or anything," she says. "Especially with everything else that's going on; Vesper's promotion, the twins graduating, Cass's girlfriend..."

"Hmm yes," he teases. "We wouldn't want to overreact to quite possibly the most important milestone in our relationship to date."

"Oh, shut it," she says, sticking her tongue out at him. "You know what I meant."

He laughs. "I do, and I think it's very sweet." He kneels in front of her, takes her hands in his. "I think the simplest solution would be for you to wear the ring down to dinner, wait for someone to notice."

Vex grins, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Five bucks says it's Whitney."

"Oh, I'm not taking that bet," he says. "It will _definitely _be Whitney."

"Do you think she'll break the sound barrier?"

"It's a distinct possibility," he says with a snicker. "At the very least, we should invest in some doggie earmuffs for Trinket."

She smiles down at him fondly, removes the ring from the chain, hands it to Percy. "It's a good plan, darling. Let's do it."

He carefully fits the ring to her finger, kisses her knuckles. "Are you ready?"

She beams at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Not even a little bit. Let's go."

* * *

_[incoming text message from the cool de rolo]_

_-HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ABOUT THIS????_

**-oh, uhh...like six weeks?**

_-SERIOUSLY???_

**-what?**

**-my sister doesn't keep secrets from me ;)**

**-also, you owe me $20**

_-ughhhhhh_

_-i could strangle him_

_-he couldn't have waited two more months?_

**-hey, i'm shocked he waited as long as he did tbh**

**-he showed me the ring a week before our birthday**

_-damn_

_-double or nothing, she's knocked up by Harvest Close_

**-you're on**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and with that, this story officially comes to an end! thank you all so much for sticking with me (and being patient with me) throughout this endeavor. this is 1) the longest fic I think I've ever written, and 2) the first multi-chapter fic I've completed since, god...2014? thank you so much to everyone who has read, who's left kudos and comments. your support and excitement has meant the world to me <3<3<3 much love, and I'll see you all again soon ;)


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